Winter's Ballad: Growth & Love
by Cinderella Girl626
Summary: All her life Samantha Freya has quietly followed the instructions of those above her. But when the world gives her the chance to be the leader of her own life, will the poise sidekick of Ice Maiden, Winter, break out of her pod of obedience and listen to her own wants? Perhaps, if she gets some help along the way. -Sort of Back-
1. Winters' Wonderland

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good break from school, finals, and relaxing for the holidays. Welcome to the first chapter of _Winter's Ballad:_ _Growth & Love_. I hope everyone here likes it. I haven't had a lot of time to write since school and finals only ended recently, so please be gentle with any criticism if this comes out a little weird. XD

Comments are appreciated and tell me how I'm doing. It always helps the writing process to see criticism and positive feedback on what the plot is, how the characters are, or simply how the chapter is flowing. However please don't flame or bad mouth the fic just because you don't like it.

I do not own Young Justice or any of the DC Comics characters written within this chapter or story. I also do not own the lyrics or nameless RWBY song being used within the chapter. That right goes to Casey and Jeff Williams.

* * *

 **-Freya Mansion, Star City**

 **December 24** **th** **, 2009-**

It was an early morning. 8:00 to be exact. It was Christmas Eve and despite the early morning sun just peaking into the sky to greet the morning, many adults, friends, siblings, and children were ecstatic for the nights festivities, merriment, and exchanges of goodwill. It was a time to be thankful, a time to be together with family, and a time for the love people have for one another to only grow stronger through the bonds of this wondrous day.

 _However for others, this day was not any of those things._

"Again! Do not hesitate to try and strike me, for your opponent will not be so inclined to do so in the heat of battle." The voice of the instructor proclaimed, raising their practice saber towards their younger opponent from across the stage.

Taking deep breathes to try and regain the energy she was losing from the lesson, the young girl clad in all her fencing equipment save her helmet, tried to even out her breathing before raising her own saber in its proper position.

 _For a young girl named Samantha Freya, this day was like most days to her._

"Arrah!" Swiftly moving her body with poise and grace, the teen sped towards her instructor and swung her weapon towards him, hoping to land at least one strike. She had to. She needed to. It was an important day after all.

 ***Clang***

 _It was a time to be prepared._

 ***Clang***

 _It was a time to be poised._

 ***Clang***

 _It was a time to be sophisticated._

 ***Clang***

 _It was-_

"You're distracted!" Her instructor called out, snapping the girl out of her thoughts.

Unfortunately too late to retaliate with a counterstrike, the teen could only watch as her instructor swiftly countered her swing, their swords striking and leaving the girl open for an attack. Just as soon as she realized this, the young girl was struck by the foot of her instructor at the center of her chest, kicking the breathe out of her lungs and causing her to crash onto the padded floor below her, dropping her sword in the process.

 _It was a time to prove herself to him._

Groaning and rubbing her head, the girl tiredly opened her eyes to look at the rubber ground below her. Moving her gaze slowly upwards Samantha felt her lips turn downwards into a frown when she saw the figure sitting in the chair in front of her.

Dressed in the finest ballroom dress suit, a dark blue tie of the softest silk, and leather dress shoes that shined from the sunlight pouring from outside sat an older gentlemen not a day over forty five. His light caucasian skin barley showing signs of wrinkling, black hair combed back in a stunning style, and sitting in a authoritative posture, the man was the picture perfect idea of an elegant socialite.

But it was the unimpressed gaze of dark brown irises that filled her vision.

"Father I'm-" Samantha tried to hurriedly apologize, but was unable to finish her sentence when her father raised his hand to stop her from speaking. Knowing the signal all too well, Samantha quieted her voice and closed her mouth to let her father speak.

"I've seen enough." Samantha's father answered. Getting up from his seat, he shooed off whatever dust he thought was on the sleeve of his suit, the older man looked back at his daughter and the ground and shook his head. "Stand."

Hearing the command and realizing she was still laying on the floor, Samantha quickly got up from the floor and dusted herself and tried to adjust her messy brown hair, moving strands behind her ears to clear her face and looked up towards her father.

Looking to his daughter, the elder Freya stared down his child before speaking. "You missed three chances to strike your opponent and you let them take the advantage of battle from you. Do you understand?"

"Yes father." Samantha replied back, standing straight and keeping her head held high in an attempt to look and feel more elegant than she really did.

"Can you tell me why you let your opponent beat you?" He asked, his voice laced with annoyance at having to say it out loud.

Feeling herself grow a little smaller at his voice, Samantha quietly answered. "I. . .My mind was somewhere else."

Watching off to the side, Samantha's fencing instructor held their hand upward in an attempt to join in the conversation. "Nikolai, I can understand your concern for the mistake she made, but Miss Samantha has improved vastly since the last time you watched her. And surely you can understand that on this day of all days she would be dis-"

"Don't make excuses for her Reginald. It can only lead to her thinking it's okay to make them." Nikolai replied, cutting off the instructor and giving him a hard glare to remove him from the conversation.

Seeing the look the master was giving him, Reginald bowed in apology. "Of course. Excuse my interruption. Sir."

Turning back to look at his daughter once more, Nikolai sighed and stood up from his seat. Dusting off whatever specks of dust he thought he cold see on his well made suit and readjusting his silk tie, Nikolai continued. "I expected more from this performance Samantha. You had asked me constantly for the past three weeks to come and watch your fencing practice, promising your skills were on par with my own. However all I saw was a disregard for the most basic of rules. Focus."

Unable to stop the frown on her face from appearing, Samantha looked downwards to try and hide it from her father. If he saw it, she was sure she'd only be lectured more. "Y-Yes father. I apologize. I'll try harder next time you come to watch."

"Don't say you'll try. Trying is for people who do not have the conviction, confidence or skill to accomplish what they want. You will do better." Nikolai spoke, looking back to his daughter. Noticing how she was looking down at the ground, he suppressed a groan. "And look straight at the person you are speaking to. Remember your etiquette lessons."

Taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, Samantha looked back up and kept her hard gaze on her father. "I...I will do better next time father. I promise you'll find no mistakes the next time you watch my practice."

Listening to his daughter's words, Nikolai gave a nod of approval and began heading out of the room. "See that you do. Now I want you to hurry and finish any other lessons on your schedule. You know that tonight is an important night for the family and we must look our best for our guests."

Turning to watch him head out, Samantha nodded and gave the best smile she could. "Of course. I've already planned out my schedule and my clothes are ready for tonight. Just...don't forget I have to leave later during the party. For my job."

His hand on the doorknob and ready to open the door, Nikolai turned his head to look at his daughter, a confused look on his face. "Your job?"

Frowning at his answer, Samantha shook her head and gave an incredulous look to her father. "My _job_. Remember? You said that if I finished my lessons and did well at the party tonight I could leave early to go. You...promised."

Hearing his daughter's words, Nikolai went through his mind to recover whatever memory his daughter was talking about. Eyes squinting at the effort to remember, a look of realization set on his face before nodding. "Ah yes. I did say that didn't I? Well like we agreed upon back then, you may only go once you've finished your lessons and your performance at the party tonight is successful. I expect the best out of my own daughter's singing talents."

"I will. I'll see you later tonight father." Samantha replied, giving a proper bow as her father left the room.

The heated conversation over and silence beginning to fill the room, Reginald felt as if the room's temperature had dropped to a freezing point. Resisting the cold chill running down his spine from the conversation he had witnessed, the man decided it best to leave the young woman to her thoughts. Putting a hand on her shoulder as a sign of comfort, Reginald smiled. "I think you did wonderfully Miss Samantha, no matter what your father says. Please don't take his words so close to heart. I'll be sure to bring you your favorite hot chocolate later before the party to make you feel better."

Not giving a response of her own Samantha simply smiled and watched her teacher and butler leave the room. Alone and left to her own thoughts of the events prior, the young teen clenched her fists tightly as emotions that she'd been hiding began to spill over like a waterfall. With teeth clenched and letting the bottled emotions she had pour out, hot tears began to roll down the brunette's as she cried in silence, the evidence of her sadness falling to the ground and splashing on a thin layer of ice that was beginning to form beneath the teenager's feet.

Not noticing the changes going on within the room during her moment, icicles began to form on the windowsill behind her and frost began to cover the floor beneath her.

 _And she failed._

* * *

 _'It's almost time.'_ Samantha thought as she paced around her room. Decorated in shades of light blue, white, and gray was her room. A soft bed sitting against the wall nearby, lush gray carpet beneath her feet, a mahogany dresser and matching desk with mirror at the back of her room, and lastly a beautiful ebony black grand piano sitting in the last edge of empty space in the room.

However all of the majestic beauty and loveliness of the items in her room could do nothing to quell the worry deep within the teen's mind.

It was about 5:00 and soon enough more guests would arrive and the biggest Christmas party of Star City wold begin. She had to be ready. Her father was already angry at her from the morning practice, so she had to do the best performance she'd ever done in her life if she was going to convince him to let her leave early.

"I just have to do my best. No, I have to be better than my best. I need to be perfect." Samantha told herself, stopping her movement to shake her head and turn to look back at the mirror stationed on her desk.

Her attire was perfect. Or at least she liked to think so. The gala was to be a grand one so she had opted to to wear something she would be comfortable in, yet also accentuate her looks in a way that her father would be appreciative of. She had to look the best after all.

Dressed in a beautiful ball gown that covered up to her chest, the dress itself grasped the curves of her body nicely to show off her form, the upper portion being a dark grey before changing into a sea of light blue, snow white, and glitter sparkling the bottom half of the dress like snowflakes. The side of the dress was cut in a neat slit that went up to her part of her upper thigh, but was covered by a curtain of soft lace beneath the top layer of the dress that looked familiar to snow. Though they were a bother, Samantha wore matching grey stiletto heeled shoes to help pull the party dress attire together and finished it by wearing long grey opera dress gloves and simple yet elegant diamond snowflake necklace.

 _'It looks great on me. I look fantastic. So...why don't I feel the way I look?'_ Samantha wondered, her reflection mirroring the frown that was appearing on her face.

"I can't keep frowning like this. She'd be mad at me if I was frowning on Christmas Eve of all days. I'm sure she would." Samantha told herself, chuckling at the thoughts in her mind and continuing to do the finishing touches of her outfit.

Soon enough the routine continued. Taking her long brunette hair and tying it up as neatly as she could, Samantha placed her hair in a high yet elegant ponytail, allowing any leftover short strands to neatly frame her heart shaped face. Continuing the process of preparing herself she began to apply the various portions of make up she'd need. Concealer to help bring out her light skin, eye liner to show off her dark brown eyes, mascara to give her eyelashes a little pop, and a nude shade of lipstick to give herself an innocent yet sexy look.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the teen gave a nod of approval before grabbing a beautiful sapphire hair clip from the desk draw. Made similar to the intricate designs of a snowflake and dotted with tiny sapphire gems at the tips, it had been a gift from her father when she was just a kid one Christmas Eve long ago. It was the one thing from her father that she was extremely grateful for and treasured.

 _'I wish we could go back to that time.'_ Samantha thought, absentmindedly rubbing the clip in her hand with gentle care as her mind wandered to years past. Sighing and pushing those thoughts somewhere else, the brunette took the clip and fastened it securely at the tie of her hair, giving herself a cute and regal look.

Feeling like her outfit was finally down Samantha turned to look at herself in the mirror once more.

Sophisticated, beautiful, poised, and alluring. All of those words described exactly how she looked at the moment. She was absolutely stunning.

"Now all I have to do is be confident." Samantha said to herself. Giving a nervous look in the mirror she gave a semi-confident smile and a thumbs up. "Yeah. I can do this."

* * *

And sure enough she did. The party had already been in full swing by the time she had entered into the fray. Various guests of wealthy backgrounds and friends of her father's business and work had all gathered to enjoy the snowy night and festive air. And when it came time for her to sing, she did just that and more.

Piano notes filled the room in a soft melody as the younger Freya controlled her voice to sing the highest notes she could during her opera performance. All eyes were on her as she sang from her soul, from the youngest of guests, to the oldest of business associates. It was if they were in the presence of an angel this Christmas Eve night.

"What a beautiful voice she has."

"Indeed. She's a prodigy."

"I believe her singing has been classified as a soprano correct?"

"You'd expect nothing less from the daughter of Dr. Freya and the late singer Aiko Sumeragi. She must have gotten her voice from her mother."

"A shame she passed before she could see her daughter now."

 _'Ignore the comments. They mean nothing right now. All that matters in this moment is you and your voice!'_ Samantha thought to herself, letting her voice flow out into the room as she matched her own voice's range with the piano notes. Hearing the song nearing its end, Samantha's mind flashed back to the lyrics she had written for the song and continued.

" _I'm not your pet, not another thing you own._

 _I was not born guilty of your crimes._

 _Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore,_

 _I won't be possessed,_

 _Burdened by your royal test,_

 _I will not surrender, this life is mine!"_

Letting her voice slowly die out as the pianist nearby her on the stage played the last keys of the song, Samantha placed her right hand over her heart and raised the hem of her dress with her left and gave a polite and courteous curtsy to the crowd. The room was filled with applause of adoring fans and party guests soon after.

"Thank you. Please enjoy the rest of the evening." Samantha spoke out to the guests with a smile before heading down off the stage. "Now I just need to avoid all these boring people and find something fun to do for the next half hour." Samantha said to herself, playing with one of her gloves and trying to readjust it. "Yeah. Like there'd be anything fun for me here."

"Nice singing kid." A male voice called out from next to her.

Hearing the voice and stopping in her tracks to turn to the commentator, Samantha couldn't help but smile at the familiar face. He was the only person at the party she was happy to see or talk to. "Oliver. You made it."

Walking over to the happy teen, the blonde gentlemen known as Oliver Queen was elegantly dressed in a black suit and matching green tie. While it wasn't anything as fancy and sophisticated as many of the other guests or her father's attire, Samantha knew it fit him well enough and wouldn't hurt the "high society culture" of this party. Not if she had anything to say about it.

"Your pipes are something else, let me tell you. Never get tired of watching you kid." Oliver spoke with a smirk and thumbs up.

Happy at the honest comment, Samantha covered her mouth to suppress the giggle that was threatening to show. "Thanks. I really do like to sing, though I wish it wasn't for all of my father's work associates or people just trying to be his friend." The brunette replied, shaking her head and letting her gaze wander to the people around the two.

Seeing her eyes moving around, Oliver chuckled. "If you're looking for _her_ , she's not here. Trust me."

"Really? But I gave her an invitation. I thought she'd be happy to come to all of...this." Samantha said, giving a confused look to the older man.

"Sorry kid. I know you wanted to her to come, and trust me I tried. But all of this just isn't her thing. Too fancy and uptight for a classy lady like her." Oliver said, moving his hand to grab an horderve and chucked it into his mouth. "Me on the other hand? Well, free food and chance to watch some rich people get frazzled is always a good time. Not to mention that you know who wanted me to be here for support for you of course."

Raising an eyebrow at the comment, Samantha placed a hand on her hip and turned her chin upwards in a mocking way. "Support? Hah. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Smiling, Oliver walked over and rustled with her hair in a playful gesture. "Aww. They're so cute when they think they're adults. You sound just like Roy."

"Hey! Stop it! It took forever to fix my hair like this." Samantha protested with a laugh, trying to smack his Oliver's hand away from her head.

"Ahem. Would you mind putting on a little more composure Samantha? People are staring."

Stiffening at the voice of her father, Samantha froze in place and noticed the form of her father who was standing just a few inches away from her and Oliver. Getting out of the hold Oliver had her in, Samantha coughed in her hand as if to try and pretend the previous event hadn't happened and combed her fingertips through her hair to try and fix its shape back to normal. "S-Sorry. I was with a friend."

"Nikolai! It's been ages buddy! How've you been? I hear your genetics research is becoming a big hit in the science community." Oliver said, walking over to the older man and shaking his hand in a friendly shake.

Shifting his gaze from his daughter to the younger man, Nikolai smiled and returned the hand shake before answering. "Oliver. Good to see you old friend. Why yes, my work has been getting much attention as of late. It seems everyone nowadays wants to know the secret to unlocking their potential. My research is still working into it, but with the success we've had in trial phases and from...my own daughter's history, my lab is confident that we'll find even more evidence and have success in bettering mankind with my genetics research."

"That's the confidence I like to hear. Why don't we talk more over drinks? You can tell me in detail about all the stuff you've been up to while I've been gone." Oliver suggested in a playful manner as he lead the older man to the food table and wrapped a arm around his shoulder in a jovial fashion. Slowly walking away from the small form of Samantha, Oliver turned his head ever so slightly and gave a wink of understanding to the girl before moving his attention back to her father and their conversation.

Her face relaxing at the sight of the understanding gesture, Samantha nodded and gave a silent thanks to her friend before quietly moving towards the exit of the party and closed the door behind her.

She had to get ready and make one last stop before she got to work.

* * *

 **-Star City Cemetery, Star City**

 **December 24** **th** **, 2009 8:35 P.M.-**

"Hi mom. How's it been...here?" Samantha quietly asked from her spot, her eyes staring down at the carved stone memorial. In a new change of clothes and wearing a pure white cloak, the young Freya kept her head covered by her hood. A quirk she had grown into through her time visiting during her _job_ , it helped to make the young girl feel safe and secure without people having to point out who she was. She liked her secrecy and her privacy whenever she could. And this was about one of the few times she could have it.

The cemetery had been empty for quite some time. While snow littered the grounds and made the area like almost mystical in a dark winter wonderland sort of way, Samantha knew underneath it was just dried leaves, dirt, and vines from overgrown plants and trees that lived within the cemetery.

"I know. I haven't visited as much as I should. But you know dad. At least better than I do. When he has his focus on something he...forgets everything else." Samantha said sadly, a frown gracing her face as she pulled her hood downwards more in an attempt to cover her face further.

"He...forgot again. My birthday. But I guess I can understand." Samantha said, her voice cracking as she tried to perk herself up. "I mean...you should have seen the look on his face when he would talk about the Christmas party. He seemed really into it than most years since you've...been away. I think it's because his research is going so well. I try to ask, but he doesn't really explain it to me. He says it's too complicated for me. He'd rather I practice my arts."

Scratching her cheek and letting the silence around her hang in the air for just a few more moments, Samantha spoke. "I...miss you. I mean, I try to miss you as much as I can. I never knew you. You died when I was born and stuff, but dad told me a lot about you. How famous of a singer you were. Just like me. Or maybe I'm just like you." Rubbing her neck nervously, Samantha continued.

"I...don't really know what to say now. I mean, I've said a lot of things the past couple of years I've come here, but I don't know if its what I really want to say. You're a great listener and I know I can always speak freely with you here. I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not." Samantha said hesitantly, unsure of where to move the conversation to.

"I...I'm worried. About dad. I don't know what he was like when you were here, but he's so strict and worried about appearances now. I can never talk to him like a normal teenager. It always feels like I'm on pins and needles whenever he shows up or we talk. I haven't seen a real sincere smile out of him since I was little. Or gotten one of those nice bear hugs he used to give me either. He just does his genetics work and nothing else. He bosses me around and stuff and keeps telling me to do my lessons too, but even then he doesn't seem like he has any emotions besides hate, and anger, and sadness whenever he looks at me or I don't do what he says. I try to listen to him and do everything he asks of me, but it feels like too much. I can't handle the expectations he's giving me."

Feeling like her emotions were pouring out with each word she spoke, Samantha stopped speaking and took a shaky breath, wondering if she should continue. However feeling like she had to voice it out loud, for someone, for anyone to hear, well she needed to. "Does...does dad hate-"

 ***honk honk***

Stopping mid sentence and turning her head around to find the source of the sound, Samantha smiled when she saw a the figure of a woman sitting on what appeared to be a motorcycle. Quietly awaiting their arrival, the figure was clad in skin tight light blue cotton pants, white ugg boots, matching latex gloves with fur trimming, and lastly a light blue overcoat. Seeing the young girl had noticed them, the figure gave a friendly wave to signal their arrival.

Waving back, the cloaked teen looked back to the grave and gave a small, yet sad smile. "Looks like I'll have to cut this short. My friend's waiting. Don't worry, it's just Sigrid. You remember her right? She's training me to be a super hero and learn to help me control my powers. It's not easy with them being so different, but she's really easy to talk. She has ice powers just like me and she's become sort of like a mother to me. N-Not that she's a better mom than you!"

Laughing nervously at her slip up, Samantha looked back to the entrance where her mentor awaited her and turned back to smile to her mother's resting place. "I'm going to go out there and do my best mom. Merry Christmas." Samantha said, turning around and running off before stopping and running back to her mother's stone and gave a thumbs up. "You're totally number one mom. Okay bye!"

Running down the long icy pathway, Samantha slowly breathed in the ice cold night air and focused on her powers. Feeling the cold energy of her ice work its magic, Samantha jumped into the air before landing on the street below and let her ice powers cover the ground in a thick layer of ice, allowing her to swiftly skate down the large hill and towards the entrance.

Slowing her decent and speeding out through the entrance gates, Samantha skated over to her mentor's motorcycle and skidded to a halt. Placing her left hand on her hip and raising her right hand in the air in an exaggerated pose, Samantha gave a joking smile to her mentor. "How was that entrance? I'd give it twenty out of ten if I do say so myself."

Laughing and indulging in the teens' antics, the taller young woman clapped her hands as a sign of approval and removed her helmet. The face of a beautiful older woman stared back at the young teen, though she looked as if she had been frozen to the core. With the curves any woman could be jealous of, long flowing pure white hair that gave a wild and untamed look to the woman, and blue eyes as bright as the morning sky, all seemed mysterious and beautiful, however it was the ice cold blue skin that covered her body that was the most noticeable trait.

Strong, confident, enigmatic, and beautiful. That was everything the young teen could describe about her mentor, or at leas the most she could think of. She had met her mentor long ago when her powers had first started to go out of control. If Ice Maiden hadn't been there at the time, Samantha was sure she wouldn't have been able to control her powers long enough to stop herself rom creating a blizzard at the ripe old age of twelve.

She was everything that Samantha wanted to be in both a super hero and a woman when she grew up. Ice Maiden was a kind yet strong woman who had defied the destiny that was thrusted on her by her own family and took the results of that fate to make something amazing out of herself. A hero. From her kind nature, to her near flawless control of her powers and confidence, the young protege wanted to be just like her.

"That nice. Though I give it nine of ten." Ice Maiden chuckled, her Norwegian accent still running through her English as she took out a helmet for her protege to wear.

Dropping her arms down at the answer, the teen huffed and walked over to the back and hopped on. "And what pray tell is your reasoning behind such a low score?"

Smiling, Ice Maiden made a twirl of her finger, motioning to the pose Samantha had done moments ago. "The pose. A little childish. And that confidence you got. Admirable, but will get tiny snowflake in trouble." The older woman said, moving her finger to lightly poke the nose of her protege for added effect.

Giving a shocked looked, Samantha shook her head and stuck out her tongue. "Childish? I say it was a masterful end to my landing. It gave it energy." The teen pointed out, grabbing her helmet and removing her hood before placing it on her head securely. "And confidence is just the starting point to becoming a great hero, or so a friend once told me."

Shaking her head, Ice Maiden turned to her controls and revved the engine of her motorcycle once more to warm it up. "Hey now. No frowning on birthday or eve of Christ. Now let's go find some naughty people in town and stop from ruining the holiday."

A bit nervous about the drive, the smaller teen gripped onto her mentor's waist tighter. She'd never seen her mentor riding a motorcycle before since she met her. Was this a gift from Black Canary? Had she made sure her mentor passed with flying colors before giving her what the smaller teen considered a death trap?!

"You...know how to drive this thing right?" Samantha hesitantly asked, a bit unsure if asking the question was even a polite thing to do.

Giving no verbal answer but a hearty laugh, Ice Maiden revved the engine once more and turning the wheel to head towards the city before speeding off, the squeak of surprise coming from the tinier hero drowned out at the sound of the engine.

Surely there was someone out there causing a scene and ruining someone's night.

* * *

"Hahahahahaha! Let's see if this doesn't make your Christmas more merry!" The cackling voice of Icicle Jr. exclaimed, his icy hands shooting out a stream of ice towards scared citizens who were trying to get away from the crazed villainous teen.

Getting closer and closer to the chaos going on in the city, Samantha pulled on her mentor's jacket, signaling her to slow down and stop.

Feeling the tug, Ice Maiden slowed down her motorcycle, careful not to let it slip on the icy ground beneath and placed her foot on the ground and turned back to look at her protege. "What'd you have us stop for?"

Looking to her mentor, Samantha turned her helmeted gaze to the screams and fog of ice Icicle Jr. seemed to be creating from a few blocks away. "It's too dangerous to go right at him like this. If we do he'll either mess with the traction of the bike and the ground with his ice or he'll slam a wall in front of us to crash in. I'm gonna head off from here and meet you there. I'll distract him until you get there."

Getting off the bike and removing her helmet, the teen handed her helmet to her mentor and placed her hood back on her head. "You think that'll work on him?"

Taking the helmet from her protege and looking at it for a few moments, Ice Maiden moved the plastic protecter shield from her helmet and turned to look at her protege eye to eye. "Why don't you handle this yourself?"

Shocked and not expecting the question, Samantha gave her mentor a worried look. "B-By myself? I'm not sure. You think it's better if we do that?"

Laughing, Sigrid shook her head. "Think of this as both birthday present and test. You're much more skilled and powerful than first time we met, and there's no doubt you won't be great hero on your own. But that means you need chance to fight and stop the bad guys on your own to get experience and not have your hand held. This is your chance. If you want it."

 _'If I want it?'_ Samantha thought, her mind reeling at the question. She was surprised really, by the question. How long had it been since she'd been given an actual chance to choose something of her own free will? Not since she was asked to be a sidekick, as much as she could recall.

The sound of a crashing cars snapped the girl out of her thoughts, her gaze swiftly looking to the scene beyond a few buildings. "Stupid boy. Using ice in such unsightly manner." Turning her head to the noises herself, Ice Maiden moved readjusted her helmet and revved her engine, ready to drive off. "We'll have to speed this up. How about this? I'll head out and get civilians out of way. You use normal signal if you need help?"

Clenching her first and letting confidence pour into her system light energy within her like caffeine, Samantha looked to her mentor and gave a confident smirk. "Don't wait up. I've got this in Santa's bag."

"Hah! That confidence I like to hear from protege! We'll get birthday cake to celebrate after this is done. Good luck!" Pressing on the gas and preparing for her take off, Ice Maiden's tire gave a loud screech before she sped off, disappearing into the dark streets beyond.

Leaving the hooded teen to her own decisions, Samantha took a deep breath before steeling herself and taking off into a run to the streets ahead. Letting her power burn within her and focusing it in the palm of her right hand, she swung her hand in front of her and let her ice fly outwards from it, coating the streets further to give it a thick layer of frozen water. Using her already quick speed to help her process, Samantha jumped upwards before landing strategically on the icy road and began to swiftly skate towards the crime scene Icicle Jr. was creating beyond her reach.

Skating off past the next street and creating more ice to skate and turn her body, Samantha jumped into the air and landed onto the next street to skate on, and glared at the target just a few feet ahead of her. "Hey! Icicle loser!"

Hearing the insult off in the distance, Icicle Jr. stopped what he was doing, in this case grabbing dollar bills he had gotten from an ATM he had destroyed, and turned back to see who it was that was ruining his fun. "Oh, it's you again! Don't got and ruin my holiday fun!" Giving a sadistic grin and running off from the ATM, the ice villain began to shot rays of ice towards the hooded girl, moving his body to try and get her at every angle.

Seeing the rays of ice flinging towards her, Samantha moved her body as fast as she could to dodge the rays, nearly falling at her current speed to try and move around them. Thankfully able to dodge them, the teen decided it best to get serious and use her speciality.

"It's more like your ruining every else's! Including mine!" Feeling her ice power take hold within her hands once more, the ice within her hand began to form into thin yet strong icicle needles. Skating as fast as she could in the small amount of space she had, the hooded teen began to throw the needles with the best accuracy she could, hoping to distract her enemy as she got closer.

Flinging his hand back and forth to swat away at the needles being thrown towards him, Icicle Jr. kept his eyes closed and groaned in annoyance at the weak attacks being flung at his face. "Is that all you got?! Little needles of ice just to annoy me? Just proves who's the better ice user in this city!" However when he finally opened his to retaliate against his enemy, the sixteen year old was once again blinded by the hooded cloak of his enemy. "Wagh! Get this stupid thing off of me!"

"You aren't the smartest are you?" The voice of his female opponent said from behind him, though Icicle Jr. couldn't see her. Trying to turn around and swing his arms in some form of attack, Icicle Jr. could only yell as he was kicked in the chest by his opponent and knocked back a few feet into the snow.

Growling and getting up from the ground, the teen boy used his ice claws to slice through the cloak and looked towards his opponent, no longer hidden beneath the cloth she wore before. "You think you're so much better than me just because you're the pretty ice lady's sidekick. Well you're not! You may have got the best of me that time, but I'm not letting some girly princess kid take me down on the biggest day of my element!"

"I don't think that at all." Samantha simply replied from her place feet away from the raging ice user. Letting the icy wind from the winter eve's weather engulf her body and allow herself to relax and focus her mind, the teen move her gaze upward in a confidant stare at her opponent, arms crossed and her body language showing that of conviction and strength.

Moonlight covered by the clouds above this dark and starry night, it finally began to shine through and peak out from the fog, lighting the the battlefield that was messy with snow, icicles, frost, and broken Christmas lights. Along with the battlefield though, the young protege of Black Canary's form could finally be seen within the light of the moon.

Dressed in attire that could be considered both elegant yet also out of place in a fight such as this, the outfit consisted of a elegant yet neatly sewn white thigh length dress, ruffled with lace frills underneath the combat skirt. While her shoulders were bare with the dress alone, she kept them covered by a similarly colored bolero jacket, with the insides being various colors such as red, blue, and white. Intricate designs of snow and snowflakes lined the edges of the dress and a white ribbon tied around her waist accentuated the outfit. As for her legs they were covered by pure white tights that covered all of her legs, while her feet were covered by matching light blue knee high length wedge boots.

Her outfits changed, her appearance that once resembled the daughter of the Freya socialite was now gone. Her brunette hair now gone, the moonlight revealed the same girl, but with her hair tied n a side ponytail and shining as white as the freshly fallen snow around her. Along with her eyes losing their original brown color, now revealed glaring light icy blue eyes that could only match those of a winter's moon.

With her hood gone and now purely in the heat...or rather cold of battle, now stood the battle ready protege of the powerful Ice Maiden. More confident, prepared, and unrestricted from the obligations of her family name was a young girl ready to prove herself and fight for justice. To use her powers for good. To be who _she_ wanted to be.

"The only thing I'm thinking of right now is how to take you down as fast, safely, and easily as I can. And I may have just figured it out while you were talking." The teen hero spoke with a confident smirk before moving her hand forward and blasting a ray of ice towards Icicle Jr. "Let's see who's ice is stronger!"

Moving his arms to cover his face from the attack, Icicle Jr. gritted his teeth as the ray of ice being shot at him began to grow and cover his arms in a block of ice. Knowing he wasn't going to take this laying down, the villain called upon strength deep within him and broke his arms free from their icy shackles before blasting his own ray of ice as a counter. "Sure! Bring it on!"

The two ice powered teens going at one another, the rays of ice began to go back and forth at one another, one side never overpowering one more. As more time passed it was apparent that their little match was coming out to be a stalemate. Knowing it couldn't keep going on forever, Samantha forced to move her left arm as best she could while keeping up the stalemate and focused ice within the other hand. Using it to combine with her first ray, Samantha called upon more energy inside her before focusing on it to create a large shield made of ice. Placing it in front of the brute force of Icicle Jr.'s attacks, Samantha silently sunk beneath the shield and focused her powers into her second ability, allowing her to slowly disappear into thin air.

Not noticing any of this and believing he was having the upper hand, Icicle Jr. couldn't help but laugh at the victory he was sure to have in hand. "Look who's the better ice user now pretty princess?! Looks like your teach is gonna have to thaw you out this Christmas!"

"Think again." The voce of his enemy called out.

Anger growing at the retort, Icicle Jr. stopped his ice attack and allowed the fog of the newly produced ice to fade away. Waiting to see what had become of the hero, the teen was only shocked when he saw that the "figure" he had been freezing was what appeared to be some sort of shield made of ice. "What?! But how?! You should be frozen!"

"Not quite." The whisper of his opponent replied, Icicle Jr. quickly turning his head around to see where she was.

 _'Where is she?! I can't see her!'_ Icicle Jr. thought, his mind racing as he looked back and forth to try and find out where the shorter white haired girl had run off to.

"Your mind's somewhere else!" The white haired hero exclaimed from behind, her body materializing out of a whirlwind of snowflakes and a cold wind. Ready to end this fight once and for all, the teen focused her ice again and flicked her right wrist outward. A icy blue glow materializing from her powers, the glow finally subsided as it took form and appeared in Samantha's hands as a small battle hammer. Smirking at the weapon now in hand, she took the weapon in hand pulled it back in position before swinging it towards Icicle Jr. as hard as she could.

Unable to stop the attack from coming him at such a close distance, Icicle Jr. felt the ice hammer connect with his face like a solid rock wall and felt his body fling off towards a shop behind him. Crashing into the glass of the window and skidding to the ground in a halt, the boy groaned softly, as if to try to get up again before feeling the rest of his energy leave his body and passed out.

Huffing in and out and feeling the sweat of her work run down her brow, the icy eyed teen walked over to the shop that was now the defeat zone of his enemy and stuck her tongue out at the unconscious boy.

"Oh and by the way I am offended by the pretty princess comment. This strong and confident queen of ice is named Winter and it looks like I'm the best ice user in the city. So don't you forget it ice bucket." Huffing and letting the ice hammer she created crumble into shards of ice, Winter turned around and headed out of the shop and towards some open space. She would need to contact Ice Maiden and tell her the mission was accomplished.

 _'And that means birthday cake all for me.'_ Winter thought, feeling a giddy smile appear on her face as she clasped her hands together in anticipation.

For all that had happened this night, her Christmas Eve/Birthday wasn't turning out all that bad. She got to wear a dress she at least liked to the party, she got to sing a song she wrote, she was able to see her mother, and got to kick butt while with Ice Maiden all on her birthday.

It was a good day...night.

* * *

Well I hope this turned out well. I'm not feeling as if the battle turned out really well like I had wanted. I suppose not writing battle scenes for long enough makes it tough to try and type them out again without it sounding rough. I may research more or watch some shows to try and get a better understanding of how to describe battles.

The chapter overall was going to be both an introduction the the character, her life, her powers, and the announcement that the Justice League was looking into maybe allowing the sidekicks in as full time members, but unfortunately I couldn't get that far. It was to much to write for an intro. I'll probably just move the next chapter to Independence Day to get things moving.

So here she is. Samantha Freya. Daughter of a famous geneticist and deceased singer, protege of Ice Maiden/Sigrid Nansen for three years now, and holder of ice super powers with the title Winter. Her abilities, while focused by using the power to create ice, are special as she uses and focuses it enough to create weapons out of ice, such as swords, shields, and even a hammer like from this chapter. It allows her to train in a various amount of battle styles and also utilize her power in a more unique way. I just hope I'm able to better explain it as new chapter's arise.

*This chapter has been edited since first written. Since I found it better to use an ice hero rather than Black Canary, Sam's mentor is now the hero, Ice Maiden. While she doesn't have many appearances outside of comics and doesn't even show up in the YJ series, I'm going to use her and sort of make something up for her. I'll try not to mess up her character as best as I can, but please be kind.

I've loosely based her appearance around Weiss Schnee, a character I really enjoy from RWBY. While her hero appearance is based around the character, her personality, background, and powers are something I came up with on my own. Though I did my best to try and describe her outfit and appearance in a way that didn't blatantly copy RWBY's work.

Or at least I hope I did. XD

And I get it, it is a strange combination of hero/sidekick I know, but I couldn't find any ice heroes in DC. Most just seem to be bad guys for some reason. I guess because ice is always seen as a cold and evil power that shrouds people's hearts, but perhaps Winter can break that stereotype. Though this is going to be a SuperboyxOC story, so maybe the whole ice stereotype may get brought up by somebody, whether it be for serious reasons or as a joke. I'll figure it out later.

Once again comments are appreciated, both criticism about the writing and overall thoughts about the chapter. More feedback helps the writing process, so please comment if you can. Have a nice holiday.


	2. Winters' Choice

Hello readers! Welcome to the second chapter of Winter's Ballad: Growth & Love! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of the story. Or if not enjoyed, at least liked some of the writing. If neither of those, I sure hope you dropped some comments or criticism for me to work with.

It wouldn't be nice to badmouth a fic after all if you aren't going to voice your concerns for the author to understand now would it? X3

Well it is the second chapter, so like I promised it would be the fast forward to the first episode of Young Justice, that being the teens getting together, meeting one another at the Hall of justice, realizing their predicament, and their rebellion against the man! The Batman to be exact!

Oh, and I have heard the concerns over why I chose Canary as a mentor rather than an actual ice hero. I suppose I was writing this way too late at night, and when I couldn't find info on any heroes right at the get go, I kind of just went to Canary since there was more Young Justice info on her. I know it would be better to use an ice hero, but with my lack of knowledge on how Ice or other heroes act, their backstory, and no appearance in the YJ world, I thought it be best to stick to someone that did exist in the world to get some groundwork in for the hero and sidekick's relationship. I'd feel bad if I tried to use a hero like Ice when I don't know much about her and end up botching her character by making up a personality type she didn't have in any incarnation of her. I think that would make lots of people mad.

Though I will try it out. I'm going to edit the first chapter hopefully before this chapter is released. I think I'll try to work on using Ice Maiden as Winter's mentor. I don't really know any of her history or backstory save for what I can find on the internet so please don't hate me if I give her a personality that she doesn't really have. I'm gonna be a little free with her since this'll be a YJ incarnation of her, and most likely, could have a different backstory and personality because of it. X3

I don't know how long this chapter is going to be since the first was so long. I may shorten it so I don't have to work through a whole day on one chapter, so if the mission isn't magically done in one, just expect a part 2 or even part 3. We may just get more character development or little tweaks in the story with it.

Well I guess it's on to the show. The _ice_ show that is.

….Get it? Because Winter has the power to create ice? And an ice show is a combination of the show, the cartoon, and her power...ice? :D

….I'll be quiet now.

* * *

 **-Gotham City**

 **July 4th, 12:00, EDT-**

The park was bustling this sunny day in Gotham. The birds were chirping, families were out together, kids were playing on the playgrounds. It couldn't be a better day to enjoy the fourth of July. Sadly, Gotham City was never without its problems, even on a nice day like this.

"Run away!"

"Somebody help!"

The screams of Gotham citizens cried out through the park roads of Gotham City park, running as fas as their feet could take them. Despite the summer heat and the hanging in a cloudless sky, the grounds of the park were littered with ice and snow, icicles forming from a familiar ice villain the city was all too familiar with.

"Enjoying family time?"

Pointing his freeze ray downwards at a family below him, Mister Freeze clad in his self made cryogenic armor gave a cold, disinterested look as he blasted a wave of ray of ice towards the scared family below him. Letting it wash over them, he stopped the ray and looked down at the newly frozen family he had created. "My family has other plans."

Sliding down to the lower parts of the park thanks to the ice bridge he had created previously, Mister Freeze scanned the park area, looking for his next targets to encase in his next frozen prison. Readying his gun to shoot off towards fleeing citizens, the villain had been preoccupied and was caught be surprise when a projectile, an all too familiar one, slammed into his gun and broke his concentration.

Catching his footing and gripping the handle of his cannon tightly, Mister Freeze turned her head over so slightly, already knowing the threat that was imminent to his plans. "Batman. I was wondering when-" Turning his body and ready to aim his weapon at the caped crusader who he thought was behind him, the ice villain frowned when he found that there was no hero to attack.

However there was an annoying laugh that echoed around the area.

"Hahahahahaa"

Turning back and forth to find the source of the laughing, it was an outline of black, red, and yellow from above that caught Mister Freeze's attention. Unfortunately by the time he realized this, he was too late to stop the stomping of his helmet, the figure jumping hard on his helmet to crack it before flipping off of him and throwing their own projectile tools to continue breaking Mister Freeze's defenses.

Falling to the ground with a thud and opening his eyes to the assailant, the villain couldn't help but give a sigh of contempt at his opponent. "Oh. Boy wonder. The bat sent you to drag me off to prison. Frankly I'm underwhelmed."

Eyes beneath his mask squinting at the villain's comment, Robin rolled his eyes and gestured his hands in an rushed fashion. "Great, but I'm kinda in a hurry here."

Getting up and carrying his cannon in hand, Mister Freeze groaned and stared down the thirteen year old as he began charging his weapon. "Kids. Always in such a rush."

Glaring at the villain who was ready to attack him, Robin simply replied, "No talking to you."

Confused by his comment, Mister Freeze turned his head back to follow the boy wonder's gaze. What transpired was the familiar form of the boy wonder's mentor, Batman. Dressed in his usual dark knight attire and appearing in his well known bat shape as he descended downwards, Mister Freeze was left only to give a look of utter shock before the dark knight drew close enough to raise a fist and punch through the glass dome helmet that was his protection.

* * *

 **-Star City**

 **July 4th, 9:01 PDT-**

"He's doing this for attention?" The annoyed voice of Speedy spoke out from the high points of Star City's bridge. Alongside his mentor, Green Arrow, Speedy notched yet another arrow onto his bow and aimed down towards the crazy ice villain on the streets below.

Icicle Jr., a not so notorious villain as his father, was causing havoc in Star City again, and it was up to him and his mentor to take him down. But why was he just doing this to get noticed?

Ready to shoot his next arrow, Speedy gritted his teeth when he noticed large ice rays being flung in his and Green Arrow's direction. Following his mentor's lead and jumping out of the way of the attacks, Speedy landed onto the large bridge's cables before running down to get a better aim on his target. "I'm telling you now. This little distraction better not interfere."

Noticing the two were getting closer and seeing yet another arrow being shot at him, Icicle Jr. hastily moved his arms upward, calling upon a wall of ice to crack out of the ground and cover him like a shield. While it had worked, the arrows beeped for just a few seconds before exploding and creating a hole in his defenses. "Why can't you two just stop moving!?" Icicle Jr. yelled, slashing his hand through the air and throwing icicles towards Speedy's body.

Calling upon his years of training, Speedy continued his pace before jumping up into the air, letting the momentum of his speed flip his body over the attacks. Using his time wisely to ready his next, and hopefully last attack, Speedy pulled out an hardened projectile arrow from his quiver and readied the it before putting his sights on the ice boy and firing in the air.

Letting the arrow fly off at an alarming rate, the arrow found its mark and shot straight through the hole created by his mentor's explosives, heading right towards Icicle Jr.'s face and knocking him back with a thud.

Landing on the street below him, Speedy watched as his mentor walked over to the unconscious Icicle Jr. to check his vitals. Seeing as he was in no danger and no longer a danger to others, the mentor shrugged with a law. "Heh. Looks like the kid had a glass jaw."

"Hilarious. Can we go now? Today's the day." Speedy urged, eyes rolling at yet another attempt by his mentor to be funny.

* * *

 **-Pearl Harbor**

 **July 4th, 6:02 HST-**

"I suspect this will not take too much time Kaldur'ahm. There is no need to have that worried look on your face." Aquaman called out from his perch on the broken battleship in the sea. Jumping downwards to dodge a wave of ice being shot towards him, Aquaman flipped off the edge of one of the downed cannons and landed below, ready to take on the likes of Killer Frost, who had decided to freeze the harbor of the sacred battleground.

That was until a wave of ice was shot towards him. Feeling his body become incased with a freezing chill, Aquaman gritted his teeth as he watched his body, safe for his head, become encased in a block of ice.

"To be honest my king, I am more concerned with the task at hand." The voice of Aqualad spoke up, jumping out from his cover and landing next to his mentor. Giving his king a nod of understanding, the young atlantean speed off in the direction of Killer Frost, letting his mentor focus on breaking out of his ice prison.

Taking out his weapons and focusing his magic on controlling the water that was around them, Aqualad created two matching morning star weapons out of water and rushed towards Killer Frost. Seeing her ready another ice attack, the sidekick raised his arms up to take the blunt force of the icy wave, allowing his arms and weapons to freeze into solid ice.

 _'Perfect.'_ Aqualad thought as he saw his victory at hand. Still rushing towards Killer Frost with as much speed as he could, he finally stopped and dropped low to the ground before swinging his frozen arms up towards the villain, letting the frozen weapons uppercut the villainous's jaw and knock her flat on her back, and free his arms from the ice.

'That was nice work." Aquaman commented, walking over to his protege after breaking from his ice prison. Smiling, the king crossed his arms and gave his partner a knowing look. "Now will you give me an answer?"

Putting his weapons away and breathing a sigh to calm his nerves, Aqualad turned to look at his mentor , his face still giving off its usual stoicism before finally smiling.

"Yes, I'm excited. Today's the day."

* * *

 **-Central City**

 **July 4th, 11:03 CDT-**

A bag of diamonds in hand from a jewelry store he had just robbed and freeze ray in his other, Captain Cold gritted his teeth in anger at the predicament he was in. his plan would have been flawless if not for the speedster duo that watched over the city. And now he was literally stick in the middle as the two ran circles around him, making sure to dodge his freeze ray attacks if ever possible.

Speeding around the aggravated villain, The Flash ducked down to dodge another ray of ice from the villain he and his partner were trying to stop. "Stealing ice though? Isn't that a little cliché, even for Captain Cold? The Flash asked, his comment being directed to his protege, Kid Flash, who was speeding around the ice villain like he was to block any attempts of escape.

Jumping over another ray of ice from the cloaked ice villain, Kid Flash rolled his eyes and kept his running speed, turning his gaze to his mentor as they continued to run. "C'mon! We don't have time for this!"

Deciding it best to end this quickly, Kid Flash grabbed his iconic red goggles and placed them over his eyes, ready to keep his vision clear less Captain Cold used his ice ray again. Speeding out of the circle he and his mentor had created, Kid Flash ran towards Captain Cold and narrowly dodged an ice ray. Feeling the cold chill crawl of his right shoulder, the red head ignored the chill and sped towards the villain nonetheless and grabbed a hold of his weapon, snatching it out of his hands.

No longer feeling the trigger grip of his ice ray, Captain Cold turned to glare at the young sidekick and was ready to try and fight back, but just as he took a step the form of The Flash sped up to him, ramming a punch to his face that knocked him out.

Rubbing his knuckle and smiling at the unconscious villain on the street, The Flash turned to his protege. "Calm down kid."

"Oh please! You'll chat it up with the cops, with bystanders, with Cold even!" Kid Flash exclaimed, running over to his mentor to stand side by side with him. "No. No way! Today's the day!"

* * *

 **-Washington D.C.**

 **July 4th, 13: 55 EDT-**

"You've prepared everything you need for today and finished any necessary tasks correct?" The authoritative voice of Nikolai Freya asked, his question reverberating off the walls of the plush and sleek limousine both her and his daughter sat in.

Sitting across from him and dressed as her alter ego Winter, the light blue eyes of the younger Freya looked to her father and nodded. Hand clasped together neatly in her lap and sitting up straight just like she had practiced all her life, she spoke. "Yes father. I went to my doctor's appointment, finished my lessons, and made sure to bring everything I need. I'm ready for anything."

"Of course you are. You're a Freya. Never forget that." Nikolai replied back, his hands resting on the diamond top of a shining black walking can in his hands.

Feeling the limousine reach its destination, the fancy car stopped at the corner of their destination. Large and imposing in size yet designed in both an elegant and simple fashion was the great Hall of Justice. Headquarters of the Justice League, museum to citizens to worship their heroes, a place to marvel at from afar and up close.

Turning her gaze to the great building just feet away from her, the young Freya couldn't' help but smile at the sight. Soon enough she'd be there, initiated into the same roster as the greatest heroes of the world. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, even her mentor Ice Maiden! It was a miracle she didn't explode from the energy she was feeling just from staring.

Seeing his daughter's entrance gaze at the large building in the distance, Nikolai Freya cleared his throat to signal his daughter's attention. "Now I've continued to let you do this..."hero" work since your powers came about Samantha. While I am not very keen to this idea, I understand that using your powers this way is something you want to do, and that by leaving you without tutelage in using them correctly all those years ago, it could have lead to hazardous results in our future."

 _'Are we having...this talk again?'_ Samantha thought, her ecstatic gaze losing its light as she moved to look back at her father from across the seat. "I...I thought you said I could keep doing this. As long as I went to my lessons, got high grades, and listened to you, I'd be able to stay working as a hero."

"I did say that, however I did not take into account the amount of progress it would take for you to learn to control your powers and be recognized for your work. In my opinion it has taken you far too long to learn to control these ice abilities you hold. I know for a fact that there has never been a Freya in the family who has had abilities like the ones you hold, but even that should not constitute having this slow of progress in mastering your own gifted talents." Nikolai explained, never breaking eye contact with his daughter as he spoke.

 _'Where is he going with this?'_ Samantha thought, continuing to listen to her father continue speaking his thoughts aloud.

"This _Justice League_. While they may be overconfident in their abilities to protect the people and hold too much power in my opinion, I can see that they are not incompetent people. If it has taken three years just for them to deem you worthy to join their ranks despite our lineage talent, and our name," Nikolai spoke, stopping mid sentence to sigh and shake his head. "then perhaps you are not skilled enough for this line of work."

Feeling a real chill run down her spine as he father finished his sentence, Samantha clutched the hem of her skirt, feeling her eyes widen in shock as she stared at her father.

 _'W-What did he just say?'_ She mustered to think, her mind feeling is if it was suffocating and running hundreds of miles a minute.

"You may have been going to your lessons and getting high marks in your grades, however you've started your training and even still now after three years you're still a...sidekick." Nikolai strained to say, as if saying the title was poisonous to his very being. "Improvement is needed in all aspects of life, even this side job you decide to throw yourself into. If I don't hear of a real change in your role as a...hero by tomorrow, you're quitting this nonsense and returning back to living like a normal human being. It is a far less dangerous life to live and opportunity to grow is abundant." Nikolai ordered, his hands firmly resting on his diamond cane as he looked to his daughter.

Her voice feeling like it had been snatched from her, the young ice manipulator couldn't help but try to speak up in her defense. This wasn't fair! He didn't know what it was like having these powers! Trying her best not to accidentally reveal them in public, to hold in the stress she felt that could accidentally freeze a room, to balance the expectations he set on her each day while also having a clear enough mind to go out and protect people who needed her help!

"Y-You can't!" Samantha exclaimed, her voice rising with ever word she spoke. "Just because its taken me a while to join the Justice League, doesn't make me a bad hero. Everyone needs time to control their powers and learn the ropes before they can join the big leagues. I mean, you didn't just become a great geneticist all in one night right?"

His gaze hardened into a glare at his daughter's outburst, Nikolai shook his head. "I won't discuss this further Samantha." Gripping his cane ever so slightly, the older man reached his hand toward the door nearby them and grabbed the handle, ready to open it. However before he did so he looked to his daughter. "You're a survivor Samantha. I won't let the second chance at life I was able to help give you be wasted on frivolous dreams and life threatening situations."

Closing his eyes and opening the car door next to them, the head of the Freya family pushed the door open and motioned Samantha to leave the car. "You may leave now. Remember what I said. If there is no improvement, you'll end this."

Her gaze once on her father now looking downward at the carpet floor, the ice heroine gave a nod of understanding before making her way out of the car. Ice slowly forming beneath her feet as she landed onto the sidewalk, the white haired teen turned back to look at her father one more time before he left.

"I-I..." Samantha spoke, trying to find the words to continue.

 _'Say something! Don't let the conversation end like this! You have feelings! Let him know how you feel and what you want!'_ The voice inside Winter's mind screamed, trying to urge the snow child to speak up.

"I...I love you father." Samantha quietly spoke back, hoping her words would in some way sway his mood and decision.

Sadly it didn't go as Winter had hoped. Looking back towards his own daughter, Nikolai Freya only stared right back at his daughter before shutting the car door closed, breaking their eye contact and motioning the driver to move on.

Watching the car drive off from where she stood, Winter clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth, trying desperately not to cause a scene or lose control of her powers. She could already feel the crawl of frost beginning to cover the ground below her, and if she wasn't careful things could get hectic.

 _'Calm down, calm down. Remember what Ice Maiden taught you. Relax and don't let the anger and emotions you feel take over.'_ The conscious within Samantha's voice soothed.

Unclenching her fists and taking a few deep breaths, Winter focused to calm herself and her powers down, looking downwards to try and ignore the things around her.

"What am I going to do?" Winter quietly said to herself, feeling like she was growing smaller and smaller each time her mind went back to the conversation. This had been the most strict conversation she'd ever had with her father. Why was he bringing this up all of a sudden? Was he never okay with this in the first place? Did he just want want her to be safe? Or was it all a lie so he could have her back and control all of her life again?

Shaking her head, Winter looked up towards the Hall of justice a few feet away. _'This isn't the time to worry. You need to meet up with the others like we planned. They'll wonder if something wrong if I run too late.'_

Taking one more deep breath to come herself, Winter rubbed her cheeks before doing her best to call upon all her training to put on smiles and pretend. Feeling some energy well up within her, the teen slowly walked down the sidewalk and headed towards the fountain area in front of the Hall of Justice.

It was pretty big from what she could see. A large fountain pool at the center of the neatly made courtyard, well grown trees lining the side walks, a beautiful gold art piece at the center of the large fountain pool. Everything screamed both elegance and professionalism. She never had been here in fact, all the times she wanted to usually taken up by her father's parties or her lessons. Seeing it all and standing there, it truly did feel massive than she was.

 _'So this is the Hall of Justice. I can't believe the league just works here without worrying about the villains who know about it.'_ Winter thought, her eyes gazing up at the impressive display.

"Hey Winter!"

Hearing her codename being called out, the white haired teen turned on the heel of her foot an smiled when she saw the figures of Batman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow with their fellow protege's Robin, Aqualad, and Speedy. The youngest, Robin who had called out to her, was waving his hand to have her come over.

The clenching feeling in her chest she had felt from her father's words began to slowly die down, her heart warming at the sight of her fellow sidekicks. _'Father may think being a sidekick is bad, but he doesn't know my friends like I do.'_

Feeling the sour emotions she had earlier melt away at the sight of her friends, Winter ran over and gave the group an excited smile. "Hey guys. You ready for the big moment?"

Smirking and putting his right index finger in the shape of a gun, he pointed it to Winter. "You know it. But uhh...We're waiting on Kid though."

Perplexed by the answer, Winter couldn't help but chuckle and shook her head. "Of all the people to be late, it had to be Kid Flash. Honestly, you'd expect someone with super speed to get here before at least one of us."

Hearing her comment, Aqualad gave a nod of his head. "It is curious to think that he would be late. He seemed the most excited out of all of us. Perhaps something caught their attention?"

"Maybe an villain like we had to deal with. That stupid Icicle Jr. was wrecking havoc on the bridge in Star City. You remember him right Winter?" Speedy voiced, his arms crossed as he looked out at the streets of D.C., his eyes gazing around for any sign of their fellow sidekick.

Feeling a chill run down her spine at the name, the ice manipulator groaned. "Don't remind me. I took him down Christmas Eve last year and right after he tried to break out of prison to see me again. He's such a creep."

"Heh, sounds like what we had to deal with. Batman and I took down Mister Freeze on our way here. Dude was freezing people just trying to have a good time at the park. But we stomped him and took him out in record time." Robin said, raising his leg up to kick the air and imitate the move he had done to his enemy.

"Familiar to me as well. Aquaman and I were in battle at Pearl Harbor with Killer Frost. We did not learn her motivations, but it didn't seem like it was as tough as a fight as we thought." Aqualad said, turning to look at Robin.

"This doesn't sound like any coincidence to me. I may not have fought some big bad ice villain today, but three ice villains attacking heroes in different areas on the exact same day still sounds fishy to me." Winter commented, her gaze drifting to all of the sidekicks that stood alongside each other.

His gaze sharp in thought, Aqualad nodded and looked to the teens. "Winter is right. This doesn't sound like any coincidence. Unless Kid Flash somehow breaks the pattern."

"Why do I get the feeling that won't be the case?" Winter replied out loud to nobody in particular, shrugging her shoulders.

Feeling what seemed like an uncalled for gust of wind, Speedy grabbed onto his signature hat and looked out to the streets of D.C.. "We'll find out soon enough."

Colored in red, white, and yellow, two blurs side by side speed around the sidewalks and streets of D.C.. Moving closer and closer to where the elder and younger heroes stood, the blurs finally slowed down enough for the group to get their eyes on, and spotted the speeding duo The Flash and Kid Flash in front of them.

However one looked more annoyed than the other.

Taking a breath to regain his energy, Kid Flash looked up and frowned when he noticed not one, not two, not even three, but all four sidekicks had already arrived before they did! "Aw man! I knew we'd be the last one's here." The red head speedster complained, pouting and crossing his arms in protest.

Laughing at his friend's look on his face, Robin nodded to Kid Flash. "Good to see you too. Thought you might have decided to stay home today. Being so late and all."

Knowing he couldn't keep the charade up for long, Kid Flash finally gave up and gave his usual confident smirk. "You know I wouldn't miss this. Today's the day after all. And besides I've got a totally legit reason this time."

Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, Winter gave a skeptical look. "Oh really. What happened this time? Decided to see if you could eat your weight in pizza before coming over? Again?"

Noticing the beautiful form of Winter looking to him, Kid Flash quickly sped over to the ice user's side and leaned on her shoulder, making the girl groan at his antics. "Hey snow angel. Don't be so cold. I know deep down inside you were totally lost without the great Kid Flash to talk and be with. But don't worry babe. I'm here now."

Suppressing the urge groan once more Winter simply turned to give the speedster a glaring look he was all too familiar with. "Kid Flash, you do remember what I said I'd do the next time you called me snow angel, right?"

Getting a dreamy look in his eyes a goofy smile, the speedster moved closer to Winter. "I'm sure it was something along the lines of giving my a kiss."

Crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at his friend's flirting attempts, Robin replied "I'm...pretty sure she said that she would freeze your feet to the ground if he said snow angel again."

Smiling at the younger boy's answer, Winter nodded. "Correct."

"Dude!? Who's side are your on?" Kid Flash exclaimed, shifting his gaze to his long time friend.

"The side that isn't gonna get me frozen to the ground. Similarly to how you are right now." Robin replied back, moving his finger to point downwards.

Confused, Kid Flash followed the direction of where Robin was pointing, and to his dismay and to the humor of Winter and Robin, the younger speedster's feet truly were stuck to the ground. Encased in blocks of ice and melded to the ground, the speedster frantically pulled at his feet, trying to lift them up from the ground.

Watching the speedster try his best to remove himself from his new punishment, Winter could only smile in satisfaction as she moved one step backwards, allowing the frozen teen to lose his balance and fall right on his face.

"There's more where that came from." Winter lightly threatened, though she gave a joking smile as she did so.

"Yeugh. Grot it." Kid Flash replied, his face muffled from the ground being smashed against his face.

Unable to contain his joy at seeing his friend suffer, Robin laughed and looked to Winter. "Looks like you _froze_ him in his place."

Easily able to spot the ice pun Robin had set up, Winter rolled her eyes to the boy wonder. "Don't you start with that."

 _ **-A Few Minutes Later-**_

After a few more moments of bonding and catching up with one another, the sidekicks walked in tow with many of their mentors towards the Hall of Justice, smiling as fans of the various heroes circled around them to take pictures and try to get news stories.

"I think you gave my foot frostbite." Kid Flash complained, jumping on one of his feet to try and get the feeling back into it.

Smiling at the teens playfully bickering with one another, Green Arrow focused his attention to his protege and spoke." You ready to see the inner sanctum?"

Giving a confident smile, Speedy turned back to look at his mentor. "Born that way."

"I'm glad we're all here." Aqualad spoke, jumping into the upbeat attitude the teens were showing.

Smiling herself, Winter's mind wandered off to the threat her father gave her. Remembering what he said, the young ice user smirked at the situation soon at hand. "We'll be members of the Justice League soon. The wait is killing me."

"I know. Have all five sidekick's ever been in the same place at the same time?" Kid Flash asked, his voice filled with excitement.

However it was Speedy that retorted back, giving a determined gaze to the building the group was close to arriving to. "Don't call us sidekicks. Not after today."

Seeing the serious look in the archer's eyes, Kid Flash gave a nervous laugh. "Heh. Sorry. First time at the hall. I'm a little overwhelmed."

"Your overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why can't anybody just be whelmed?" Robin asked in a curious tone.

Filing into the entrance way of the Hall of Justice, the group slowly stopped to stand in front of a security door, the sign mentioning that it was only authorized for official leaguers. Around the area were citizens taking pictures of the group, various memorabilia from the League's various conquests against villains, and large statues standing high above them all of the founding members of the Justice League. Each imposing in size, they all seemed to have give off integrity, honesty, and strength.

A bit shocked by the severity of the Hall of Justice's decorum, Winter couldn't help but gasp at it all. "Maybe that's why." She whispered to Robin, the boy wonder having the same look of shock as she did.

However their time for gawking came to an end when the doors of the inner sanctum opened. Walking out into the outer sanctum,, Martin Manhunter, Red Tornado, and Ice Maiden all gave warm welcomes to greet the young heroes.

"Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Winter. Welcome." Martin Manhunter spoke, his voice while not as enthusiastic as some, gave a professional feel to the ceremony.

Grinning widely and walking to her protege, Ice Maiden laughed and patted Winter heartily on the shoulder. "I'm happy to see my little snowflake here. I'm sure you are excited for your big day."

Her cheeks beginning to heat up at the playful banter her mentor was trying to start up, Winter hastily looked off to the side, doing her best to try and ignore the playful affection of her mentor. "N-Not here Ice. You're going to embarrass me."

Stifling a laugh behind his mouth, Kid Flash smiled. "Too late for that."

"Do you want to get your feet frozen to the floor again?" Robin asked, looking to Kid Flash with a raised eyebrow.

Deciding it be best to move things along, Martin Manhunter motioned to for the teens to follow suit, walking into the authorized area and explaining their new access. "You know have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked galley, and of course our library."

Walking further into the inner sanctum, the group finally stepped into the light as their newly realized headquarters was finally revealed. While small in size and not fully equipped with the best technology some of them thought it would have, it was proper accommodations for what they thought was a proper meeting room. At the center a table equipped with a holographic projector sat along with an array of chairs for members to take seat in, most likely during mission briefings. A large computer monitor sat to the side that could map out various locations and take calls from leaguers if necessary, different sound systems to help play back messages and listen to the news if needed. And lastly from wall to wall were bookshelves filled with texts on various places in the world, old literature, and the most up to date maps.

"Make yourselves at home." The Flash spoke warmly, raising his arms up to gesture for the teens to relax.

Taking up on their offer, Kid Flash, Robin, Winter, and Aqualad all began taking the seats nearby one another. Speedy however opted to stay standing, his gaze focused on the adult heroes who began to gather around nearby the second doorway within the room. That which was only allowed by league members.

"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day." Batman spoke to the older leaguers.

Her ears catching wind of the dark knight's words, Winter could only smile at the comment. "I knew it seemed fishy."

Turning his gaze to the ice user, Batman nodded in agreement and turned his gaze back to the rest of the group. "We shouldn't be long." Turning his back to the younger heroes, Batman and the rest of the leaguers walked towards the authorized entryway, standing nearby a camera sensor as a small light peaked out from it and began to scan each member for identification.

 **"Recognized: Batman, 0-2**

 **Aquaman, 0-6**

 **Flash, 0-4**

 **Green Arrow, 0-8**

 **Martin Manhunter, 0-7**

 **Red Tornado, 1-6**

 **Ice Maiden, 1-9."**

"THAT'S IT!?"

Ready to walk off into the next room, the group of older heroes stop mid step to turn around and look to Speedy, his outburst apparent in the small room.

Clenching his fist in anger the protege archer looked to the various veteran heroes. "You promised a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass." Speedy said, crossing his arms in anger.

"It's a first step. You've been granted access few others get." Aquaman spoke calmly, hoping to diffuse the situation.

Gritting his teeth at the lackluster answer, Speedy raised his hand up to point to a sky view box, various citizens watching from above and taking pictures. "Oh really? Who cares which side of the glass we're on?"

Seeing his partner's anger only growing, Green Arrow stepped in. Trying to be as civil as he could he spoke, "Roy. You just need to be patient."

Glaring, Speedy continued. "What I need is respect." Turning to the other sidekicks who sat with him, he looked to Kid Flash, Aqualad, Robin, and Winter with an angered look. "They're treating us like kids. Worse, like sidekicks! We deserve better than this."

A bit confused by his anger, the rest of the young heroes couldn't help but look to one another, trying to figure out what it was their ally was angry about.

"What are you talking about?" Winter asked, breaking the silence the group had been in since Speedy's rant and turning to look at the older sidekick.

"You're kidding, right? You're playing their game? Why? Today was supposed to be _the_ day, step one to becoming full fledged members of the Justice League." Speedy asked surprised, unsure of how to register the answer he was getting.

Raising his hand up in a confused gesture, Kid Flash looked to the teens in the room. "Well sure, but I thought step one was a tour of HQ."

"Except the hall isn't the league's real HQ." Speedy retorted confidently.

Eyes widening at the bombshell Speedy revealed, Winter looked to her friends for any sort of answer. However no matter who she stared at, whether it was the jokester Kid Flash, the wise Aqualad, or experienced Robin, none of them had any look to say they knew what was happening.

"Y-You're kidding. Right?" Winter spoke, her voice laced with confusion.

Shaking his head to signal he wasn't, Speedy continued. "I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporter tubes to the real thing. An orbiting satellite called the Watchtower."

Listening to everything his protege was saying, Green Arrow couldn't help but feel a familiar pair of eyes was on him. Turning around to find the source, it was the dark knight himself giving the archer a hardened glare.

"Uhh...I know, I know. But I thought maybe we could make an exception?" Green Arrow suggested lightly, shrugging his shoulders to try and deflate the situation. Unfortunately the bat's gaze only increased in severity, and seeing there was no way he was going to convince the man, Green Arrow frowned. "Or not."

"You are not helping your cause here, son. Stand down or-" Aquaman spoke, putting his hand on Speedy's shoulder to try and calm him down.

Feeling the leaguer's hand on his shoulder, Speedy swatted it away. "Or what?! You'll send me to my room?! And I'm not your son!" The archer exclaimed in anger, glaring at the sea king before shifting his gaze to Green Arrow. "I'm not even his. I thought I was his partner, but not anymore." Taking the hat of his costume off his head, the older teen flung the object to the ground in anger, gritting his teeth.

Winter, along with the other sidekicks couldn't help but stay silent and watch the scene from where they sat. What could they say? Wha would they even say? All of this information was all too much to handle. Their dreams and wishes had all been wrapped up in this moment, but to find out it was all a lie, or rather just another "step" for them to take. Hadn't they proved themselves enough yet?

Turning his back on the league heroes, Speedy began walking out to the exit of the inner sanctum, his hands clenched into fists and anger radiating off his form.

 _'No. This can't end like this. This isn't what was supposed to happen.'_ Winter thought, her mind racing at the events that had just played out. She was still trying to process what had just been revealed, what was said, what was going on. It wasn't until she noticed the form of Speedy walking past her chair that she snapped out of her thoughts and turned to watch the archer.

Feeling like this situation couldn't end like this, Winter hastily got up from her seat and ran over to the retreating archer and grabbed his arm. "Speedy wait. Please, don't go. You can't just leave everything like this." The white haired heroine spoke, her voice cracking as she tried to keep herself calm.

Seeing his once fellow sidekick trying to stop him, Speedy turned to look at Winter. Living in the same city, the two had hung out many times wile on patrol since they became sidekicks and had many great times together learning the ropes and working side by side. They had even been close enough to share their personal lives with one another. So why was she defending all of it?!

"And do what? Just sit back and listen to everything they tell me to do like it's the word of law?! You should be just as mad as me Winter. You told me how important this day was, how much you needed to prove yourself to your father. Well look where listening to them has gotten us." Speedy declared, motioning to the leaguers who watched the scene from the back of the room. "I know you enjoy all of this, but continuing to listen to these guys will only leave you stuck in place. And if you even controlled half of that brain of yours you'd realize that's only going to leave you stuck under the thumb of your fa-"

"Enough!" The thick accent of Ice Maiden boomed, her voce echoing through the room. Her icy blue eyes giving a glare that could perhaps even rival Batman's, the ice user stared Speedy down, her anger boiling at the words he had used against her protege and his own friend. "You've said your piece, so please hold tongue before I rip I out. You're anger is with us, not her. Don't throw your rage at her."

Glaring at the heroine but understanding the mistake he had made, Speedy looked to the shocked face of Winter before pulling his arm out of her grip. "Guess they're right about your four." Turning his back once more to the heroes, Speedy walked off to the exit. "You're not ready."

* * *

Exiting through the door and Speedy now gone from the room, the sidekicks and heroes were left in stunned silence. Nobody seemed to have the energy to speak or any idea of what to say. Confused and unsure of what just happened, all the sidekicks could do was sit in utter shock at the event they had just witnessed.

 _'This...This can't be true. It just can't be.'_ Winter thought, her mind reeling at the information Speedy had yelled out during his rant. Had this been the plan all along? Was this really just some made up next step to make the children feel important and not ask questions to their mentors? Had all their work and effort really meant nothing after all the time they dedicated to training and helping people?

No! She couldn't believe this. This was the exact opposite of what she wanted to happen! Today was supposed to be perfect. She was going to join the league alongside Ice Maiden, her friends and her would be heroes who would help on a bigger scale, they were going to be recognized for the time and effort!

She was going to...

She was supposed to...

She wanted to..

 _'Today was supposed to be the day.'_ Samantha thought, the emotions reeling within her beginning to crack and weigh her body down. Feeling her powers begin to build up from the emotional train wreck she was feeling, ice began to form on the ground beneath her.

What was she supposed to ask Ice Maiden? Had she known all about this?

What were the others feeling? Angered? Betrayed like Speedy?

 _'How could he? How could he say all of those things to me? I thought we were friends.'_ The ice user thought, her eyes feeling hot with the threat of tears ready to burst.

The mentor's now gone from the room, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Winter were the only ones left in the room. While everything was still tough to process, the boy wonder knew the first thing to do was to check on his fellow sidekick. Slowly walking toward her to not surprise her in the condition she was in, Robin frowned a bit before reaching to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Winter? You okay?"

Feeling the comforting hand of a friend, Winter still could not turn to look at her friends. Shaking her head in protest to his question, Winter sniffled a little, trying her best to try and control the dam of emotions that was flooding. "H-He was right you know."

Discerning who it was she was talking about, Robin removed his hand and nodded. "Speedy?"

Nodding herself in approval, Winter continued. "I needed today to go like we thought it would. More than ever this morning. I just needed this to be real. I needed to be recognized for my effort, the training I put in. I just needed to be initiated into the Justice League and everything would have been okay."

Clenching her fists tightly as her mind set back onto the realization that nothing she thought was going to happen was happening, she felt a slow stream of tears begin to run down her face. However she kept her back turned. She didn't want the guys of all people to see her like this. "This was my only chance, and it wasn't even real. I'll never get another one."

"I know this is all a shock and we don't really know what's gong on right now, but this isn't the end Winter. We'll find another chance to get into the league. All of us." Robin said, trying to help ease the older girl's worries.

Winter however shook her head frantically, trying to deny the boy wonder's words. "No, you don't get it! I'm...I'm finished after today."

"What?! Don't tell me you're quitting like Speedy too?" Kid Flash exclaimed in surprise.

Clenching her teeth to try and hold in the sobs she felt were only growing with each word they added to the conversation, Winter finally turned to look at the three boys. Tears running down her face, eyes red, and ice slowly forming more and more beneath her feet she shook her head. "I don't want to! Believe me I want to keep helping people! I love being a hero and using my powers to help others. But my father...he said if I didn't stop being a sidekick and get recognized by tomorrow, I had to quit." Winter cried, feeling more tears fall down her face.

"That's not fair! You work harder than any of us! He can't do that!" Kid Flash yelled, speeding over to where Robin stood nearby the crying Winter.

Frowning at the display of emotions he was seeing, Aqualad shook his head. "Yes he can. He's her father and she's only sixteen. She has to follow his wishes. Would you really go and defy your own father just because he was being unreasonable Kid?"

Being put on the spot, Kid Flash froze a bit as he tried to think of an answer. "Uhh...I don't know! All I know right now is that this shouldn't be happening. None of this should be happening. We've worked our butts off to be the best sidekicks we can be and helped take down our share of bad guys, but they don't even trust us with the basic information. They've got a secret satellite H.Q. In space!" Kid Flash yelled, pointing his hand upward to explain his point as he growled and covered his face with his hands.

Knowing the younger speedster was right, Aqualad looked down to the ground in thought before looking up to the rest of the group. "What else aren't they telling us?" He asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"I don't know, but I for one am not letting it all end here." Robin said, grabbing a box of tissues nearby and handing it to the teary eye'd Winter. "We all know this wasn't the way things were supposed to go. Not by a long shot. And there is no way I'm gonna end this night with us being tricked and Speedy leaving."

Feeling determination build up inside him, Kid Flash nodded to the boy wonder. "I'm with Robin. There's got to be something we can do about this."

Listening to the two teens converse over some sort of idea to plan, Aqualad's focus moved from the and towards the large monitor nearby the league had been working on. Remembering the transmission that had been sent over, Aqualad focused his gaze on the screen and turned to look at the three teens. "What is Project Cadmus?"

Thankful for the tissues Robin had given her and wiping her eyes to clear her vision, Winter caught Aqualad's question and looked to the group as well. "Project Cadmus?"

"Before they left the league got a transmission about a fire at some research lab. Project Cadmus it was called." Kid Flash said, helping to fill in the blank Winter was having.

His gaze intense as his mind whirled through for some sort of answer, Robin smirked and looked up to the group. "Don't know. But I can find out." Walking towards the transmission computer the league had been using, Robin began to type a few of the keys in.

"Access Denied." The computerized voice of the security system voiced.

"Heh, wanna bet?" Robin asked jokingly, continuing his work on the large keyboard in front of him.

Watching the boy wonder work his technological magic, Winter, Aqualad, and Kid Flash walked over to stand next to the boy, their eyes watching the screen began showing the hacking of encrypted files.

"Wow. How are you doing that?" Kid Flash asked, his eyes wide at the hacking procedure that was taking place.

Prideful in his work, Robin continued pressing keys. "Same system as the batcave." Raising his finger to press one final key, the boy wonder pressed the enter button with a satisfied smile, watching as a security enhanced file on their target was unlocked.

Watching the file open up, a large window depicting the live video feed of the fire at Cadmus played, a white building burning with flames and surrounded by fire trucks.

Looking at the file on the screen, Winter wiped her eyes and read over the information given. "It says its a genetics lab in D.C.. Where's the rest of the information?"

"That's all there is, but if Batman is suspicious about this place, maybe we should investigate?" Robin suggested with a grin, turning around to look at the three sidekicks with him.

"Solve their case before they do." Aqualad said, letting the idea roll off the tongue. Smiling, he looked to the others. "It would be poetic justice."

Laughing, Robin placed a hand on his hip. "Hey, they are all about justice."

"True." Aqualad said, but frowned as he realized the predicament they would be in. "But they said to stay put."

Hearing his protest, Robin shook his head. "For that blotting out the sun mission, not this. But if you want a more conscience choice, why don't we let Winter decide?" The boy wonder asked, turning his gaze to the ice heroine.

Noticing the three sidekick's gazes all on her, Winter jumped in surprise. "Me? But why?"

Giving a serious look to the older teen, Robin spoke. "Winter, we don't have to do this. We could just sit here and wait for the league to come pick us up like kids, but this mission is important to all of us. You most of all. If we take this on and finish it before the league, they'd have to appreciate the effort we do and you'll be able to prove to your dad you've got what it takes. But it's up to you."

Listening to the sincere words of the boy wonder, Winter frowned at the last part. "You'd...be willing to skip this mission for me?"

Jumping into the conversation, Kid Flash sped over and lightly tapped the girl with his elbow. "Wouldn't be the same without you snow angel."

"I agree. We'd have our chance to prove ourselves, but we wouldn't be real sidekicks if we left one of our own by themselves. Nor would we be good friends." Aqualad added, a smile on his face as he moved to stand next to Robin.

"And look at it this way. If this all ends up blowing up in our faces, at least we tried. We can have your sidekick career end with a bang." Kid Flash joked, though his face gave a serious expression.

Feeling the love and warmth from the various words of her fellow sidekicks, Winter couldn't help feel her eyes tear up once more. However unlike the tears she was crying earlier, these ones were happy ones that she wasn't afraid to hide form her friends.

Walking over to Aqualad and Robin's side, she grabbed the two and hooked her arms around their necks to pull them close to her, a genuine smile of gratitude on her face. "You guys are the best friends a sidekick could ever have. Let's come out as heroes or go out with a bang."

"Yeah! Team sidekick is ready to go!" Robin exclaimed, raising his fist in the air to signify their formation.

"Let's us all do our best. This will be a tough task." Aqualad said, voicing his concern despite the smile on his face.

"Woohoo! Group huuaaah!" Wanting to join in on the love fest that was going around (and perhaps get a little bit closer to his snow angel), Kid Flash was ready to speed over to the group but felt his feet caught in the familiar prison of ice made by Winter.

Unable to stop his descent once again, the red headed speedster flung himself accidentally to the ground, landing on his face for the second time that day.

 _'Probably shouldn't have said snow angel.'_

* * *

And here we are at the end of the second chapter. Geez I told myself I was going to write less, and here we are. I think I wrote more than the last chapter. Ah well, I did end it at a good place.

With the group now realizing their predicament, whether it be the trust in their mentors broken, unsure of what to believe, and even the threat of leaving the hero world, the teens have now found a chance to prove themselves, go on a real serious mission, and help their fellow sidekick stay by their side as a hero. That or go out in a banging blaze of glory. That's always cool too. XD

So with that the next chapter will be the Cadmus mission, though like before I don't know how long it will be. I'd say perhaps to the point they begin their escape, but it all depends on where I want to stop it and how much I can write. Though you'll find out soon enough. At least as long as nothing goes wrong.

Please remember to comment on the story and tell me how I'm doing. Criticism is great to help the writing process, and giving your opinions of how the characters are acting, their motivations, and backstories is always good to hear too. Once again, have a great holiday. :3


	3. Independence Day Pt 1

Hi readers! This is now the third chapter of Winter's Ballad: Growth & Love. I'm on a roll here, or at least I like to think so. Thanks to all this free time I have I don't have to worry about school and can write as much as I want.

Unfortunately that means that when I do go back to school and work picks up, this story may go on a little hiatus, or at least a prolong wait to get chapters out. I'll be taking winter classes every day most of the time, so it'll be hard to write chapters out, or at least to the length I'm doing now. So I'll try to write as much and as best as I can before then. At least this way there is more to read while Im gone.

But any who, here's the next chapter. Don't know how far it will go this time. I may right the whole mission, or perhaps I may stop at a random point. It's a mystery. X3

Well on with...wait, I already made that joke. Never mind.

* * *

 **-Cadmus: Advanced Genetics Research Lab**

 **July 4th, 14:25 EDT-**

"Anybody spotted the building?" Kid Flash asked, speeding alongside Aqualad and Robin from the streets below.

The mission, or rather the mission they all decided to go on was now on track and it was up to them to get to the building, save the scientists, and get into the building to find the secrets Batman had been suspicious about.

They just had to do all of that before they get caught.

"It's just a few more feet away." Robin answered, moving his wrist close to his face, activating a holographic projection of a map. "You see anything up there Winter?" The boy wonder called out, turning his gaze upwards to the building rooftops that were above them.

Skating atop the rooftops of the nearby buildings she frosted, the ice user used her speed once more to vault off the most recent rooftop she'd been on and landed on the next one nearby, keeping her sights on the target from far away. "We're close. I can see the smoke from up here. There's one fire truck there trying to put the fire out. I can't tell if there's anybody inside still." Winter called out from above.

"We will find out soon enough. " Aqualad stated, keeping his mind focused on the task at hand.

"Help! Get us down!" Unfamiliar voices yelled, the voices being drowned out by the sirens and hectic dance of the fire.

 ***BOOM***

"Civilians falling! I'm not gonna make it in time!" Winter yelled out to the group below, watching as a chemical explosion had blasted the scientists out of their building and were heading quickly towards the street below.

"On it!" Speeding out of the alleyway the heroes had recently gotten to, Kid Flash moved around Robin and Aqualad and headed towards the Cadmus building at high speeds. Seeing the scientists falling to their doom, the yellow and red clad teen ran up the wall of the building, using his momentum to keep him steady and reached his arms out to catch the scientists. His reckless move successful, Kid Flash continued to move upwards, doing his best to try and reach one of the windowsills of the building. Luckily for him his speed had been a little faster than usual, for as soon as he focused he might on reaching some form of safety, the speedster was able to throw the two scientists off his body and had them land safely on the roof of the building. However feeling his feet slipping off the building wall, the teen reached his hands out to grab something, and in his hastiness was able to cling to the window below. Now hanging on for dear life, Kid Flash could only grit his teeth in concentration, doing his best not to fall.

Looking upwards in relief at the miracle that had saved the scientists, a fireman looked confused before his eyes widened in surprise, pointing to the clinging figure of Kid Flash. "It's whats his name? Flash Boy!"

"Kid Flash!" The boy yelled out, turning his head back around to focus on his new situation. "Why is that so hard?"

Making his way closer to see the damage at hand, Aqualad frowned at the new predicament their ally was in. "Does he always rush in like that?"

"Only when he's not thinking." Winter replied back, jumping off the rooftop and landing in the alleyway below. Moving a strand of her hair out of the way, the ice user looked around the alleyway once more, a slightly confused look on her face. "Where's Robin?"

"Hahahaha"

"I think I know." Aqualad replied, his gaze turned towards Cadmas and pointing a finger to the building.

Following the direction Aqualad was pointing to, Winter could spot the small form of Robin far off in the distance. Watching him take out one of his gadgets and shooting it towards the burning building, the boy wonder swung off the ground and landed through the window, adjusting himself and grabbing his clinging friend from the window.

Shaking his head, Aqualad spoke. "This isn't how a team works. We can't jump in like this. We need a plan. We-" Moving his attention to look to his female companion, Aqualad's eyes widened when he found that she was no longer next to him. Turning around and looking for any sign of the girl, Aqualad called out. "Winter?"

"Sorry, excuse me!" Winter's voice yelled, making the Atlantean turn his gaze back to Cadmus.

Running off to the streets nearby the firemen, Winter hastily focused her powers and projected her powers beneath her feet. Moving closer to the wall of the building, Winter readied herself before an icicle shot quickly out of the ground, vaulting her upwards to the window and landing right on the edge. Moving herself inside the building, the ice user turned her head back to look down at the firemen and smiled. "Sorry. Hero business."

"*sigh* Even you Winter." Disregarding the disappearance of his team mates, Aqualad soon followed after them, taking out his water bearers and focusing his magic into them. His tattoos glowing a white light, the Atlantean looked towards the firemen nearby him, getting their attention. Looking to the water flowing out of their hose, Aqualad gave a serious look.

"I need to borrow that."

* * *

 **-Inside Cadmus-**

"This is not what I expected out of a place Batman is suspicious of." Winter spoke, her eyes gazing around at the dark room her, Kid Flash, and Robin were investigating.

When she had heard that this place of all things was being looked into by the Batman himself, or rather he _wanted_ to look into it, she expected a little more...mystery? Dangerous equipment? Maybe some charts with weird experiments listed?

Typing away at a computer, Robin kept his eyes dead center on the screen, his fingers moving as fast as they could to search for any intel. "There has to be more than meets the eye with this place."

Raiding through a box of files to find any trace of evidence, Kid Flash sped off to another draw of a turned over desk. "Robs right. If Batman of all people is suspicious of this place, then there has got to be something here. We need there to be right?" The speedster asked, his gaze looking over to Winter.

Seeing the look her friend was giving her, Winter frowned and shook her head. "Yeah I guess."

Jumping off of his makeshift transportation and letting the water rest below, Aqualad walked into the room and looked at the other three sidekicks. "Appreciate help." Aqualad spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Hey, you handled it. Besides we're here to investigate remember?" Robin replied back, a smirk on his face at Aqualad's sarcasm.

Shaking his head at the younger heroes response, Aqualad walked over to an untouched desk and opened the drawers, his hands shuffling through what appeared to be unimportant documents. "What do we expect to find here?"

"Something evil probably." Kid Flash said, speeding through another file before moving to the next one.

"I'm going to move on ahead to another part of the building. Maybe we'll find something further in." Winter suggested, heading out of the room to investigate further. Walking down the hallway that connected the room the group was searching in to another, Winter kept her gaze constantly moving, trying to discern something that could be of use. "There has got to be something in here that's suspicious."

 ***bing** *

 _'Was that...an elevator?'_ The ice user thought, running down the hall and turning around the corner she thought the noise had originated. Her eyes widening in shock, an elevator truly was a the end of this new hallway. However what caught her attention more was the split second she saw what appeared to be...a person? Watching the doors close shut, Winter looked at the doors confused and turned her head back ever so slightly. "Hey guys? Are the elevators working right now?"

Hearing their team mate call them, the three boys rushed over to where she was. Each showing a look of surprise at the elevator doors down the hall, Kid Flash was the first to speak. "I think the elevators are supposed to be down right now."

"This doesn't look right." Robin pointed out, looking at the elevator suspiciously until running towards it. Following after the young detective, Aqualad, Winter, and Kid Flash stayed quiet as the youngest hero began pulling up a hologram from his wrist projector, typing away as a picture of the same elevator that was in front of them popped up. "That so. This is a high speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two story building."

"And I don't think whatever I saw inside it was normal for this place either." Winter pointed out, moving closer to look at the information Robin had pulled up.

Listening to the details and clues the heroes were piecing together, Aqualad walked over to the express elevator and stretched his arms for a few seconds. "Looks like we'll need to investigate." Reaching towards the doors, the Atlantean took a deep breath before jamming his hands into the small slit of the doors. Grabbing onto the edges as hard as he could, the teen concentrated on using his strength and slowly began to pull the doors apart. After a few more pushes and feeling the doors finally be pushed out of the way, Aqualad let go and looked down shocked at the large elevator shaft heading down unknown amounts of floors.

All three peeking their heads in to see what Aqualad had spotted, the younger teens couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock.

"Guess that's why they need an express elevator." Robin finally spoke, breaking the short silence.

"Anybody got a plan to get down there?" Kid Flash asked, moving back a bit to make sure he didn't slip down the elevator shaft.

Pulling out another grappling hook from his gadget belt, Robin looked at the tool before aiming it upwards within the elevator shaft. Shooting it with careful precision, Robin watched the strong magnet tip of the grappling tool stick itself deep into a large pipe above and pulled on the tool to make sure it was secure. "This is gonna have to do for now. I'll go first."

Taking a running start and jumping off the edge of the elevator shaft, Robin gripped the handle of his tool as he ignored the sinking feeling in his body as he continued to scale down the tunnel at high speeds.

"I can never get over how calm he is doing this stuff." Winter replied, feeling her stomach drop at just watching her friend jump head on into a darkened tunnel. Shaking off the queasy feeling she had, Winter walked over to the chord of the tool Robin had set and gripped the rope as tight as she could and sliding down the makeshift transportation.

 _'How far does this elevator go?'_ Winter thought, her gaze shifting to the passing numbers that were painted on the wall. Each signifying a floor to whatever Cadmus was holding, they only continued into deeper and deeper territory and didn't seem like they'd ever stop.

"Looks like I'm at the end of my rope." Robin called out, his voice echoing back and forth from the walls surrounding the team.

Shifting her gaze downwards to see Robin really was at the bottom of the his tool's length, the boy wonder began to rock the rope back and forth like a swing, using the momentum to let go and land perfectly on the small edge against the wall, his hands gripping the wall in front of him to help him stay balanced.

"This would be a lot easier if we had a little bit more to land on." Winter complained, looking down at the darkness below and turning her gaze to look at the ledge Robin stood on. Moving her body to rock the rope just like he had, the young teen took a deep breath, letting one hand go of the rope and concentrated on her ice.

 _'Think of the shape. Long, sturdy, strong enough to pierce metal.'_ Winter thought to herself, feeling her mind empty itself of other thoughts to focus on what she needed. Feeling as if her mind had pictured just what she needed, the white haired girl flicked her wrist, a icy glow forming within the palm of her hand until it exploded in light, revealing a sword made of pure ice.

"Looks like your projection has gotten better." Robin commented, his eyes looking at the weapon his fellow sidekick made.

"Yeah. Too bad I wasted it for this!" Winter exclaimed, using the momentum of her swinging to fling off the rope and moved the swords' point towards the wall. Feeling the ice weapon stab itself into the wall, Winter smiled when she found herself right above the edge she needed to be on and let go of it, landing on the small amount of ground below. Sighing in relief at that task being complete, the ice user looked to Robin. "It's not easy making weapons out of ice and making them sturdy like that. I could probably make two more at best today, or a lot more smaller ones if it didn't take as much time."

Watching Aqualad and Kid Flash follow suit down the rope and jump off towards the edge of the elevator door, Robin began typing away at his keyboard yet again, this time trying to break into the security of the door.

"Let's hope we won't need them." Robin replied back, typing a bit more until seeing the needed green lights on his screen. "Doors' unlocked. Go!"

Taking the signal and moving towards the doors, Aqualad once again grabbed the edges of the elevator doors and pulled them apart as hard as he could. Having them swing open and open up the next entry point for the sidekicks to go into, they slowly took a few steps inside, unsure of what they would find. Once their vision began to get accustomed to the darkness the room had, the teens frowned as they found themselves in a large hallway, various technology lining the walls and an eerie red glow filling the room.

"Wow. Creepy." Kid Flash replied quietly, looking around at the dark hallway they stood in. Feeling the urge of curiosity taking over, the speedster ran off down the hall, hoping to find some sort of evidence to what was going on.

Seeing their friend run off on his own, Aqualad moved a hand, as if trying to motion for him to slow down. "Kid, wait!"

"Why can't he slow down and wait for us for like three seconds?" Winter complained, rolling her eyes at the speedster running off and went along with the others to go after him.

Running as fast as they could to catch up to the high speed teen, the group quickly slowed down and skid to a halt when the ground began to shake lightly. Feeling the ground rumbling and searching for the source, the teens looked on in both confusion and surprise when a horde of unknown creatures began walking through the hallway, blocking their way to Kid Flash who was on the ground on the other side.

"Kid! Are you alright?" Aqualad called from the other side of the horde of creatures, his eyes looking to his ally before moving back to the strange creatures.

Getting up off the ground and running around the beasts as fast as he could, the speedster skidded next to them and wiped some sweat that ran down the side of his head. "I'm good. But what the heck are those things?!" The teen exclaimed, pointing a shaky hand to the strange creatures.

"Like we'd have a good enough answer to explain those creepy things." Winter said, watching the large creatures walk down the hallway further. However after a few seconds of watching the beasts, a spark of realization popped in the ice user's head and she looked to the others. "What I want to know is why they aren't attacking us. Those things could crush us with one step and they just ignored us and walked away like nothing."

"Well find an answer once we get to a computer down here. Let's not waste anymore time." Aqualad replied, looking to the others and motioning for them to follow suit down the opposite way of the hall.

The group running down the hall, stopping every few seconds to check around a corner to be sure no security was nearby, the teens made their way to another locked door and began to work their magic.

"Almost got it...done!" Robin said, typing the last key he needed and pressing the enter button. Watching the doors open, the teens were ready to run right inside in case enemies were inside. Despite their readiness for whatever they thought would be behind the door, none of the teens could predict what would be in the room once it had revealed itself to them.

Walking inside the room they had unlocked, the teens were welcomed to a large room, walls covered with countless shelves that held glass cases. Within them though, it was hard to discern what they were. At least as large or larger than a normal dog and excreting electricity from their bodies at a powerful and alarming rate, the strange bug like creatures did nothing but continue to release electricity from their bodies, ignoring the intruders.

Feeling his face fall into a look of shock, the boy wonder only stared at the many jarred creatures on the shelves that lit the room. "Okay. I am officially whelmed."

Moving a bit closer to one of the jars on the lower shelves, Kid Flash stared at the creatures inside and turned back to the others. "This has got to be how Cadmus hides their real lab underground. They aren't even on the grid."

A bit creeped out by the bug creatures, Winter kept herself far away from the jarred bugs and nervously kept a hold of her dress sleeve, as if to try and comfort herself at the sight she was seeing. "They're making electricity on their own. You think Cadmus made these things just to stay out of the public eye?"

"It has to be. Even the name is a clue. The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragons teeth into the Earth." Aqualad recited, looking to his comrades as he spoke.

Walking towards a nearby terminal, Robin pulled out a plug in cable and plugged it in. "And this Cadmus creates new life too. Let's find out why."

Working his tech magic once more on the terminal, Robin began scanning through the various files for any details to what the group was witnessing. One by one files showing different pictures came into view for the group. While one would show a creature that stood on its own feet, another showed a completely different one with sharp claws, a humanoid form, the large elephant like ones they'd seen before, and even the bug ones in the same room as them

"What would Cadmus need to create all these...things for?" Winter questioned, a bit unnerved by the pictures that the files were showing.

"Says they're called Genomorphs." Robin examined, typing in more keys to open status pages on each created creature. "Wow, look at the stats on these things! Super strength, telepathy, razor claws. These things are living weapons!" The boy wonder exclaimed, a bit unsure at what he was reading.

"They're engineering an army. But for who?" Kid Flash asked, looking at the stats Robin was reading through.

Pressing his finger on the holographic screen and scrolling down more code, the boy wonder squinted his eyes at some small bit of information. "Wait, there's something else here. PROJECT Kr." Pressing the screen further to look into the project further, the teen groaned as nothing came up. "This thing is triple encrypted. I can't-"

"Don't move!" A gruff voice yelled from behind.

Jumping at the voice and turning to look back at who had called to them, the form of an armor clad man ran into the room. Beside him in groups were most likely Genomorph soldiers, small yet powerful looking lizard like creatures. Another Genomorph, a small looking creature sat atop the armor clad man's shoulder, watching from its perch.

Preparing himself for whatever fight may come, the armor clad man looked up with a glare at the intruders, but lost his ferocity when he saw the colors, symbols, and familiar faces of the teen heroes. "Wait. Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Winter?"

"Least he got your name right." Robin joked, trying to deflect attention on him, continuing to try and copy the Project Kr data from the computer.

Deciding to speak first, Aqualad looked to the armor clad man in surprise. "Wait, I know Guardian, a hero."

"I try my best." Guardian replied back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash asked, not understanding why a hero wold be at Cadmus of all places.

"I'm chief of security. You're trespassing, but just come with me and we can call the Justice League, figure this all out." Guardian suggested, going straight to the point.

Glaring at the older hero for his suggestion, Winter shook her head. "You're crazy if you think we'll agree to that. Do you really believe the league's just going to be okay with you being security for an underground facility making living weapons?!"

His helmeted face giving a look on confusion, Guardian looked to the teens. "Weapons? What are you-Augh! My head." Holding his head in pain and his eyes closing, Guardian stayed in a muddled state as the Genomorph on his shoulder looked to the human hero, it's horns glowing a blood red.

After a few more seconds of not giving any answer, Guardian let go of his head and opened his eyes, his gaze now in an intense glare at the group. Pointing to the heroes, Guardian commanded the weaponized creatures. "Take them down! Hard! No mercy!"

Hissing as if to signal a battlecry, the strange Genomorph soldiers quickly made their ways towards the group, claws ready and fangs ready to bite down on any that got in their way.

"Time to move!" Robin called out, pulling out his cable from the computer and taking out a few smoke bombs from his belt. Running towards the front of the group, the boy wonder threw the bombs downward and let the smoke explode into the room and create the necessary smokescreen the group would need to escape. Taking out his grappling hook once more, the boy wonder shot it upwards and let it attach itself to a pipe and readied himself, letting the motor pull him off the ground and high above the ground to dodge the enemies, heading towards the exit.

Ducking beneath a clawed hand from one of the Genomorphs, Kid Flash maneuvered his way through the smoke screen and ran up the wall behind him, using it to vault over the creature and slam his body into a couple more nearby and headed back into the smokescreen to take care of the rest.

Shooting streams of ice on the floor in front of her, Winter moved back as Genomorphs running towards her were caught by her trap and lost their footing, crashing into the floor and getting tangled up within each other. Using this as her chance, Winter placed her hand on the floor and let ice slowly creep out of her hand and travel towards the tangled creatures. Watching it surround the Genomorphs, the ice began to cover their claws and feet in an icy prison, freezing them all to the ground.

Wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead and turning to look back and see how her other team mates were doing, the ice user frowned when she saw Aqualad and Guardian going at one another in a fist fight. Rushing towards them and using the leftover ice on the ground to increase her speed, Winter jumped off the ground and raised her leg to kick Guardian in the head, knocking him off his feet and throwing him onto the ground below. "Let's just get out of here! We don't have time to take them all down."

"Agreed. Kid, let's go!" Aqualad called out in the smokescreen, trying to find any sign of the goggled teen.

"Got it!" Kid Flash called out, running out of the smokescreen and continuing his way towards the exit.

Following after him, Winter a bit behind Aqualad turned her head back for a moment to check the status of their enemies. Unfortunately the groups efforts to slow them down previously hadn't gone as well as they had hoped as hordes of the clawed Genomorphs were rushing a few feet behind them in pursuit.

"I knew being done with those things was too good to be true." Skidding to a halt and turning back to face the impending creatures, Winter concentrated and called upon as much ice as she could muster in her exhausted state. Hands glowing with white energy, the teen thrust her hands forward, allowing large streams of ice to shoot out of her hands and onto the ground below. Doing her best to stack the ice up to as high as she can, Winter finally stopped when she couldn't produce anymore ice in her state and sighed in relief at the wall she had created.

 _'That's not going to hold them off for long.'_ Winter thought, her breath coming out as an icy fog from use of her powers. Deciding it be best not to waste time standing around, Winter ran back to where Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash were stationed and was thankful to see the elevator had reached the floor and was ready for use. Jumping in alongside the others, Winter sighed in relief as the doors closed behind her and started to move. Feeling like her legs were going to give out at any second, Winter bent down and rested her hands on her knees. "Is this mission over yet?"

"It doesn't seem that way." Aqualad answered, his gaze upwards towards the marked floor numbers. Rather than going up like most of the heroes had thought, the numbers were actually increasing bit by bit. "We're going down?"

Looking over to Robin, Kid Flash pointed his finger up and spoke, a hint of aggravation in his voice. "Dude, out is up."

A bit annoyed by the tone Kid Flash was giving off, Robin glared back. "Excuse me? PROJECT Kr remember. It's down on sub-level 52."

Hearing the two teens bicker, Aqualad paced through the small elevator space, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is getting out of control." Sighing and turning back to look at the others, the oldest sidekick suggested, "Perhaps...we should contact the league."

 ***bing***

Hearing the sound of the elevator reaching its destination, all the teens looked at the doors in anticipation, beginning to ready themselves for whatever was behind it. Watching the doors open and ready for any guards, the teens were once again shocked, though it wasn't from finding more experiments.

Walking out of the elevator, the group found themselves in a strange hidden cave like area, the walls colored in a strange flesh like pink color. It was if the cave was almost alive, organic in material.

Wasting no time, Robin was the first to run out of the elevator and take off down the closest hallway. Watching the young detective take off on his own, Winter groaned and stood back up and soon followed after, doing her best to catch up. Following the trail Robin ran down, Winter stopped in place next to Robin who was crouching behind a few metal barrels and equipment.

Aqualad and Kid Flash appearing soon after, the group looked at what was ahead of them. Two hallways, each going in a different direction.

"Which way?" Aqualad asked, looking to Robin in hopes he'd have an answer.

Not having a concrete answer, Robin motioned to both entranceways. "Take our pick. Bizarre looking hallway one or bizarre looking hallway two?"

"Well somebody pick one soon. We'll get spotted just sitting around like this." Winter added, her eyes darting around for any security that may have been coming there way.

"Halt!"

 _'Oh, don't tell me.'_ Winter thought annoyed, turning her gaze towards bizarre looking hallway number two and seeing the form of what appeared to be a humanoid Genome. Body covered in blue skin, pointed ears, and bone horns, the being looked towards the four heroes and raised its hand upwards, its horns glowing the same blood red as the Genomes they had spotted before.

All around it various objects that sat around began to fly into the air, levitating thanks to the beings' powers. Focusing his sights on the teenagers, the Genome flung the objects in their direction, ready to hit to hit their targets.

Watching the barrels fly towards them, the group quickly ducked low, narrowly missing the objects that had been flung at them and felt the heat of flames from behind, a result of the barrels exploding from the unknown chemicals within them.

Retaliating with his own projectile, Robin pulled out one of his batarangs and aimed it at the Genome, throwing it with trained precision in hopes of slowing the creature down and turned on his heel, motioning the others to follow down the hallway.

Rushing ahead past the group to find their target location, Kid Flash turned the corner sharply, but did his best to try and skid to a halt when he noticed a female scientist just walking out of the room. Unable to slow his speed he ended up falling on the ground, tripping the women in the process and finally sliding on the floor until he stopped.

Pushing himself off the ground and rubbing his sore head, Kid Flash looked up towards the door the scientist had just walked out of, seeing the large metal doors slowly closing themselves. Getting up from the ground and running to grab whatever was hand, the goggle wearing hero hastily grabbed onto a large metal canister, though heaving it up to carry was easier said than done.

Taking each step as fast as he could with the heavy object in hand, Kid Flash finally reached the doorway of the lab area and placed the canister between the space of the closing doors. Watching them slow down and completely stall themselves from the object, Kid Flash turned back and waved over the others to hurry. "Hurry! This isn't going to hold for long!"

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Winter yelled, running alongside Robin and Aqualad to the doors. Jumping inside after Robin and Aqualad behind her, the ice user stopped in her tracks, taking in deep breaths to try and regain her lost oxygen from running.

"Is everyone alright?" Aqualad asked, looking around the room to each of his team mates.

"Everything's fine on my part. Just adding to the security lock. Don't want those guys getting in anytime soon." Robin answered, typing at his holographic keypad and keeping his eyes on the security measures he needed to add to.

Straightening back up, Winter rubbed the back of her sore neck. "I'm as good as running around in a extremely dangerous laboratory can get. I'm more worried that this Project Kr. We came all this way down for might be a waste of time."

"Uhh...I don't think that'll be a problem. You guys are gonna want to take a look at this." Kid Flash called out, the speedster standing a few feet away from the group and looking at a pod sitting alone upright in the darkness.

Pressing a key on the console in front, lights soon began to light up the room, revealing what it was Kid Flash had mentioned.

The pod once cloaked in the darkness of the secure lab facility soon shined in the light, revealing a large pod fit to store a human body. With fine and strong glass shielding to see through it, carbon fiber metal to keep whatever was stored inside secure, and the same strange tiny versions of the Genomes resting on a shelf within the tube, it looked to be made like a tiny fortress, keeping whatever was stored inside as safe as possible.

And what was inside was the even more surprising part.

Wanting to get a better look of what was inside, Winter walked over to where Kid Flash stood and intensified her gaze at the pod.

Laying in quiet slumber within the reveled pod was a human body, or more specIfically the form of a human boy. He was tall, a muscular physique showing well in the outfit her wore. Short black hair atop his head and lightly tanned caucasian skin. It was strange and baffling to think there was a random kid just sleeping in a tube deep in Cadmus, but what shocked the ice user even more was the bold red symbol printed on the chest of his pure white jumpsuit.

It was the symbol of Superman of all things! But why?! Why would a random boy be wearing the symbol of...

Feeling her stomach drop at the realization hitting her, Winter brought her hand up to cover her mouth in abhorrence.

 _'They couldn't have, could they? It was wrong! Unethical! No person in their right mind nor scientist would willingly do such a dangerous and outlawed procedure. But Cadmus had many many experiments and living weapons. This wouldn't be too far from what they've already done.'_ Winter thought, her eyes continuing to stare at the sleeping boy inside the pod.

Feeling her voice slowly returning to her, Winter did her best to try and convey some sort of message to the group, all four still staring at the mysterious PROJECT Kr.

"I-Is that what I think it is?" Winter hesitantly asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Walking closer to the pod to inspect the etching of the PROJECT Kr. Symbol, Kid Flash's eyes widened, finally understanding why the experiment was such an important secret. "Big k little r. The atomic symbol for krypton. You thinking clone?"

Confused just by the sight of the contents of the pod, Aqualad turned to look at Robin. "Robin, hack!"

Jumping a bit at the serious tone Aqualad gave him, Robin nodded and got to work. "Oh, right right." Taking out the cable from his hacking equipment, the boy wonder plugged it in to the console nearby the pod and began filing through the various bits of information that revealed themselves, Kid Flash and Aqualad walking closer to get a better look at the same.

"Weapon designation Superboy. A clone force grown in...sixteen weeks?!" Robin exclaimed, re-reading through the information to make sure he hadn't misread it. Finding there was no mistake, Robin continued. "Says he was cloned from DNA acquired from Superman."

Listening to the information dump Robin gave, Winter walked closer to the pod and stood before the glass shielding, her gaze upward to the sleeping clone. "It was probably stolen."

"There is no way the big guy knows anything about this." Kid Flash pointed out.

Reading through more paragraphs of hacked text, Robin nodded. "Says that the solar suit he's wearing absorbs sun radiation twenty-four seven."

Looking down at the console panel, Aqualad pointed to the familiar Genomorph creatures sitting above the Superboy. "And these creatures?"

"Force feeding him an education using telepathy. They call them Genomorph gnomes." Robin pointed out.

Gripping his hands on the edges of the console panel, Kid Flash was doing his best to digest the information the group was constantly being given. "And we can guess what else. They're making a slave out of...well, Superman's son."

Knowing that the situation was now at a tipping point and getting out of their hands, Aqualad looked to the team. "Now we contact the league."

Nodding in agreement each sidekick tapped or clicked a button hidden somewhere on their suit. Whether it was a belt buckle, a hidden communicator, tracking beacon, or radio signal, nothing seemed to come through for any of the teenagers.

"We're in too deep. Literally." Kid lash couldn't help but say, letting the predicament they were all in sink through.

Hearing the Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin try to come up with some sort of backup plan to get themselves out, Winter continued to look at the glass home of Superboy.

 _'I don't like this. This isn't right at all. Cadmus shouldn't have done something like this, and there is no way they should be holding the son of Superman hostage.'_ Winter thought, her teeth gritting at the idea of Cadmus just getting away with this. Whether he was a true human being or not, Superboy should have a life to live of his own, not be trapped and be controlled by Cadmus's use like a weapon. To have to follow every order they gave him without being able to defy it or have his own choice.

 _'He'd be stuck in the same position I'm in at home. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.'_ Winter thought, shaking her head as she looked back at Superboy with determination.

"I'm breaking him out." Winter proclaimed, turning around and walking to the console the other three boys were standing around.

A bit taken aback by the declaration, Kid Flash looked to Winter. "You sure this is a good idea snow angel?"

Clenching her hands into tight fists and trying her best to ignore the anger rising from the inappropriate nickname at such an important moment, Winter shifted a hard gaze to Kid Flash. "Are you telling me you're okay with just letting Cadmus keep him locked up?"

"Of course not! But how do we know he's going to be on our side when he gets out?" The speedster retorted back.

"I don't easily agree with it either Kid, but I find it much more beneficial that Superboy is left to have a choice of what he wants to do, rather he be stuck obeying everything Cadmus told him." Aqualad spoke, adding his own words to try and relax the tension that was building.

"I agree too. Let him out Winter." Robin said, looking to the ice user and awaiting the crucial moment to come.

Looking to Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad to see their visual signs of approval, Winter nodded in understanding and walked closer to the panel. Moving her hand and having her finger hover over the necessary key, Winter shifted her gaze up to the sleeping Superboy one more time, her eyes softening at the unknowing victim.

 _'It's time to wake up.'_ Winter thought, her silent comment directed to Superboy as she moved her finger and pressed the button that would free the clone.

Whatever happened next was a mystery.

* * *

And here is the third chapter. I don't know if it turned out as well as I had hoped, but I got through the near halfway point of Independence Day. I'll try get started on the next chapter and have it posted soon.

And once again until its over, Happy Holidays. :3


	4. Independence Day Pt 2

Yay, new chapter! We're at chapter 4 now and I really hope I can get the mission fully done in this one. If it isn't as long as the others, I'll most likely be making another part.

So last we left off the group of young heroes took on the Cadmus mission and what they found was far more than what they had expected. Will they survive? What kind of torture are some in for? How will things change with another member of this team in the fray?

Looks like you'll have to read to find out. XD

Like previously mentioned, I do not own any of the Young Justice characters, episode dialogue, or lore information. That's all on DC Comics.

* * *

 _ **'Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken NOW!'**_

Gasping for breath as if just emerging from under water, Winter did her best to open her eyes, but felt a heavy sting of pain on the left hand side of her face, more noticeably her eye socket. Letting her vision slowly but surely clear up, Winter frowned when she noticed that only the right hand side of her vision had gone back to normal, albeit a bit blurry.

Was her eye covered? Had she damaged it somehow? Why couldn't she remember?

 _'W-What happened?'_ The ice user thought, her head feeling like it had collided with a solid wall. It was only when she started to try and move her arms and legs that she realized the situation she was in. Though she couldn't exactly see the left hand side of anything, the ice user frowned when she looked to the right and noticed what appeared to be metal shackles wrapped around her wrists. Looking down to check her legs and saw the same shackles wrapped around her ankles, the hero gasped when she noticed a pair of blue eyes staring right at her from outside her new prison.

Standing straight, quiet, and unfazed by the situation she was in was Superboy. Stoic and not giving any sign of surprise at her awakening, the clone simply watched her.

 _'W-What is he looking at?'_ Winter thought, feeling a little uncomfortable at the boys' staring. Feeling anger well up inside her at her situation, the ice user squirmed in her shackles, feeling the metal confines irritating her wrists and ankles.

"W-Where am I?! Where are my friends!? What happened to my eye!?" Winter yelled at Superboy, trying to get some form of answers.

However no answer came, but Winter could see the clone squint in confusion at her actions and yelling.

'Why won't he stop looking at me?! It's...weird.' Winter thought, her face feeling a bit warm when she noticed the boy continuing to just stare up at her. She knew this wasn't the time to be getting flustered, but when you had a guy (who was pretty cute to be honest) staring at you for so long, you just couldn't help yourself.

Gritting her teeth and continuing her efforts to escape, the teen ignored the warm feeling in her cheeks and yelled in anger. "Say something! You can talk can't you!?"

Looking downwards to the ground, as if trying to find the words, Superboy turned his gaze back upward to glare at Winter. " Yes. _He_ can."

A bit taken aback by an actual answer from the super clone, Winter stopped her squirming and frowned. "Well answer my questions then. Where are my friends? Why am I trapped in this thing? And why can't I see through my left eye!?" The teen called out, demanding answers.

Aggravation laced in the prisoners' voice, Superboy only continued to stare at Winter as he spoke, glare never leaving his face. "The other prisoners are contained just like you in another room. You were put in there because you broke into Cadmus and they wanted you contained. Your left eye is covered by bandages. You injured it yourself in the battle with me and one of the scientists wrapped took care of it."

"A battle? What are you-Ugh!" Feeling the familiar pain course through her head, Winter tightened her hands into fists to try and work through the discomfort coursing in her skull. Feeling the pain slowly die down, the heroine slowly but surely felt memories from minutes prior begin to surface.

 **-Memories Begin-**

Superboy had been freed from his pod, but the welcome they got from his was the exact opposite of what the group had thought.

Swiftly and exhibiting powers similar to Superman the clone began taking the group down one at a time. Crushing Robin underneath his foot, slamming Aqualad into the ceiling, and throwing Kid Flash through glass from just a single punch. They had done the best they could, but it felt like they were fighting a living tank.

Soon enough she had been the last one standing, but her ice wasn't doing much to slow Superboy down or weaken him in any way. She felt embarrassed, her mind remembering the moment she had screwed up her eye. She had created an ice wall to try and block a punch from the clone, but not able to create it as powerful as she had wanted, Superboy had easily punched straight through her defenses. As a result countless shards of sharpened ice flew across the room.

And unable to guard herself fast enough, a shard of sharpened ice cut straight down her eye socket, injuring and causing blood to seep out.

 **-Memories End-**

She winced absentmindedly, the memory of the pain reemerging and replicating itself. _'I remember now. How Superboy took us all down and how I injured my eye. Father is not going to happy about this.'_

Was that everything she could remember? No, it couldn't be. She felt like there was more she was missing.

 _'But...why don't I remember anything about Superboy knocking me out too. Was it one of those Genomorph things?'_ Winter thought, shaking her head to remove the lingering pain in her head.

"Okay, I remember it now. We fought, but why? Didn't you want to get out of there? Go outside?" Winter asked, her eye narrowing in confusion at the result of the groups decision.

"The Genomorphs teach me about the things outside." Superboy replied back, no enthusiasm or energy in his voice. It was as if he was reciting everything like a robot.

"Those...weird creatures?" Winter asked aloud, her mind envisioning the tiny creatures that had been in Superboy's pod. Shaking her head, Winter frowned at Superboy "That isn't the same as seeing everything with your own eyes. Have they even let you out? Let you see the ocean? The sky? Or even the sun?" Winter asked back.

His gaze still on her, Superboy spoke. "Images are implanted in my mind." His gaze faltering lightly and looking off to the side for a split second, the cloned Kryptonian looked back to Winter. "But...no. I have not seen them."

Eyes widening at the answer Superboy gave her, Winter couldn't help but look to the boy in pity. His existence...It was worse than she thought. No matter how bad the expectations her father put on her, despite the orders she was given by him, and even the the situations she was forced to partake in, even she had at least some control of her life.

She got to see the sun, moon, and sky.

She was able to smell a flower and talk with others as she pleased.

And for whatever it was worth, she could even be a hero and help people in need.

But Superboy had none of that. All their conversation so far had gone back and forth against one another, and so far only proved to the ice heroine that the clones' life was far worse than what she had to endure.

Feeling her previous energy she had begin to dwindle away, Winter decided to ask another question. "Do...you even know what you are? Who you're supposed to be?"

Eyes hardening at the question, Superboy straightened his posture and spoke. "I am the Superboy. A Genomorph. A clone created from the DNA of the Superman. Created to replace him should he perish. To destroy him if he turns from the light."

 _'What is Cadmus trying to do using him?!'_ Winter wondered in fear, listening to Superboy's answer with renewed vigor. _'The conviction he has in his voice. That look. It reminds me of myself when I begged to be a super hero to Ice Maiden.'_

"Superboy, I know how it feels to have a goal. I do, really." Winter replied, speaking truthfully to the bottom of her heart. "Wanting to be someone like Superman is a wonderful goal, but you deserve to have a life and make choices just like him. Beyond all of this mess Cadmus is trying to put you through."

"I live because of Cadmus!" Superboy yelled back, a glare showing on his face. "It's my home!"

Feeling her body tense up a bit from the super powered clones' yelling, Winter took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "I get that. I know you don't want to betray the people who have taken care of you, helped you, taught you everything you know. Trust me, I know just how you feel. But this isn't any way to live, to be cooped up down here and not be given any freedom."

Once again trying to pull her wrists out form the confines of her prison, Winter groaned in pain and looked to Superboy. "If...If you can get my friends and I out of here, we could take you outside. You can see flowers, trees, the sky. We could introduce you to Superman."

Eyes widening at the proposition, Superboy looked at the confined heroine with curiosity. "You can?"

"No, they can't."

Doors opened and walking inside along with Guardian and three Genomorph G-Gnomes on their shoulders, Dr. Desmond walked to stand nearby Superboy and stare up at the ice heroine. "Your friends are a little preoccupied at the moment, and soon enough you'll be too."

Glaring at the new face she didn't recognize, Winter squirmed in her shackles in an attempt to break free. "Where did do to my friends?! Let us go!"

"I don't think so. You see you've all seen too much of our facility that most are not supposed to. Given the severity of the situation, my bosses have asked to make a new project out of some of your friends. I'm sure they will make wonderful clones like this weapon here." Dr. Desmond said, his gaze turning to Superboy who watched the two talk.

"I'd like to see you try to make a clone out of me. Nothing can beat the original. Not even another me." Winter replied back with confidence.

"I won't be cloning you. One of my bosses said they want you untouched and alive, so for now you'll be sitting here nice and cozy until then. But just to be sure you don't try to think up some plan to escape..." Dr. Desmond spoke, motioning for one of the small G-Gnome to jump off his shoulder.

Landing on the floor of the lab and running over to climb up onto a table nearby Winter's pod, the Genomorph looked to the heroine for a few seconds before the familiar blood red glow appeared on its horns, indicating the creature was using it powers.

Looking at the creature with hesitant fear, Winter gasped in pain as she felt what was like claws digging deep into her head. Everything inside her head hurt and her thoughts were starting to get fuzzy. Every second she tried to think of some way to get out of this torture, the Genomorph retaliated back with its mental attacks, making the ice user grit her teeth in aggravation. As much as she wanted to keep her voice silent to not yell in painful mental torture she was enduring, it was too much for the girl to bare.

"Ahh! S-Stop it! Please! It hurts!" Winter screamed, sweat running down the side of her head as she frantically tried to get out of her shackles, desperate to stop the pain that was ringing itself in her mind.

Smiling at the girls' distraction, Dr. Desmond looked over to Guardian and motioned him to go to Superboy. "Now get the weapon back into its pod!"

* * *

Superboy had never been in a situation like this. It was the longest he'd ever been outside his pod, perhaps even the first time he's ever been let out. Even more so the information he was learning, the places he was seeing so far, and the people he talked to were unlike anything he could understand. However it was the words of the sidekick Winter that stuck inside his head.

 _'I can make my own choices?'_ The inner voice of Superboy asked, the cloned experiment looking upwards to watch as Winter was being forced through what looked like mental torture. Something was starting to boil inside him when he saw that. He couldn't place it, but it was as if heat was building up inside him, wanting to release itself to stop what he was watching.

Still lost in his thoughts and watching the torture that was going on in front of him, Superboy felt the gauntleted hand of Guardian grab his shoulder. Eyes narrowing at the contact, Superboy growled lowly and pushed his shoulder out of Guardian's grip, staring the hero down.

 _'He's starting to rebel.'_ Dr. Desmond thought, his gaze on the weapon defying Guardians' orders. "Don't start thinking now." He ordered, motioning for the second Genomorph G-Gnome to use its powers.

Jumping off the scientists' shoulder and landing on Superboys', the Genomorph sat patiently in silence until yet again the powers of it began to activate.

Superboy remembered the feeling of the Genomorph G-Gnome well. Being used to having them go into his mind to feed him information about the world and knowledge. His thoughts still trying to be his own, the mental wave from the Genomorph began to wash over everything he had been thinking on his own. His mind slowing down and feeling like it was becoming emptier and emptier with each passing second, the boy finally lost the last bit of free will he had, his eyes losing any sort of semblance of life or emotion as he stared blankly in front of him, his mind once again open to suggestions.

Walking around to look at the boy face to face, Dr. Desmond glared. "You see, you aren't a real boy. You're just a weapon and you belong to me!" Realizing what he had said, Dr. Desmond frowned a bit, shifting his gaze to the side before turning it back on Superboy. "Well...to Cadmus. Same thing. Now get back to your pod!" He ordered.

Giving no signs of the defiant energy he once had, Superboy gave no nod of approval nor any sign that he was against the orders. Turning around towards the exit, the mind controlled weaponized boy walked out of the laboratory and headed to the destination he had been ordered to go to.

Ignoring everything around him and focusing on the objective Dr. Desmond gave him, Superboy gave no indication of hearing or noticing anything around him. Experimental equipment, computer monitors, even other Genomorphs like him. None of it seemed to matter as he continued on his way to his "home".

That was until he heard something.

It was faint, muffled at first from the mental control the G-Gnome on his shoulder, but with the help of his super hearing the clone was able to work through it and understand the message being called out to him.

" _ **Superboy, you're alive."**_ The voice of Winter spoke, Superboy squinting his eyes ever so slightly as he heard her voice echo through his ears.

" _ **Please don't force yourself to go back to Cadmus like this. You have the right to choose. If you want to really be like Superman, make your own choices."**_ Winter begged, her voice faltering from the mental torture Superboy had witnessed earlier.

Listening to each word she spoke, Superboy slowed down his walking speed until finally stopping in place. Glaring down in frustration, he shook his head to fight back against the mental manipulation the G-Gnome was having over him.

The voice of Winter getting louder as he continued to fight, Superboy could her the tired breathing and struggling of the heroine despite their space apart from them. " _ **You can fight thi-Ahhhhhhhh!"**_ Trying to convey a last message, Winter cut herself short when she screamed, her voice soon after disappearing.

"Get off me!" Superboy yelled, swatting the G-Gnome off of his shoulder to break free of its control. Feeling like a weight within his mind was being lifted from his shoulders, Superboy shook his head to regain function of himself before turning back around and running back to the laboratory the ice user was kept in.

Reaching the locked door and pulling them apart with his full strength, the super powered teen shifted his gaze left to right, looking at Dr. Desmond and Guardian who turned to look at the boy in shock.

"I told you to get back to your-ugh!" Watching Dr. Desmond and Guardian try to order him again and run towards him to try and capture him, Superboy simply pushed his hands outwards, forcefully propelling the two Cadmus employees away from him and watching them skid a few feet away in random directions.

Making sure that neither of them were going to get back up, Superboy turned his gaze to Winter who was still writhing in pain at the torture from the G-Gnome nearby. Glaring at the creature and walking towards it, Superboy only stared at the creature, his eyes burning with anger.

"Leave now. Or you're going to be thrown through a wall." Superboy commanded, anger laced in his voice and words.

Staring up to the Superboy in curiosity, the G-Gnome blinked its eyes at him before canceling its power and jumping off the table to run off out of the lab.

Seeing it run away, Superboy turned back to the pod Winter was in. Looking for the switch to get her out, Superboy found a lone console and punched his fist through it, electricity sparking and wires falling out along with dented metal.

A hissing noise coming from behind him, Superboy rushed over when he saw the glass shielding of the pod open itself, the restraint locks unhooking themselves as well. Unconscious and unable to slow her descent to the ground, Superboy ran towards the falling heroine and effortlessly caught her in his arms.

"Hey. You okay?" Superboy asked, uncertainty in his voice as he tried to shake the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Ugh." The weak voice of Winter muttered, a look of pain written on her face. Her mind slowly regaining control over itself and working to ignore the lingering pain, the ice heroine slowly opened her good eye, her vision once again tonight trying to clear up.

 _'The pain's gone? And I feel warm.'_ Winter thought tiredly, blinking ever few times to try and discern what was happening. Her vision finally clearing itself up, although still unable to see through her left eye, Winters' eye widened when she noticed the face of Superboy looking down at her. _'He must have saved me.'_

Looking up at Superboy, the heroine gave a tired smile. "You came back. I guess you heard me."

"It wasn't hard. You're kind of loud." Superboy said bluntly, his blue eyes staring back at her own icy blue.

Feeling a chuckle come out of her mouth, Winter couldn't help but smile at the comment as she motioned herself to remove herself out of Superboys' arms. A bit wobbly at first, Winter wiped a drop of sweat from her brow and looked around the damaged room, trying to get her bearings. "You don't know how to talk to girls do you?"

"Why should I?" The clone asked back, eyebrow raised in a questioning position at his new ally's comment.

Shaking her head, Winter motioned for Superboy to follow her. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Right now we need to find my friends and get out of here."

Taking off alongside Superboy, Winter rushed down the hallway they were trapped in, trying to find some sort of clue to where Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Robin were.

 _'They have to be on this floor. They wouldn't do experiments on us on completely separate floors. They'd want to keep us together.'_ Winter thought, passing by another group of barrels in the hall. "Do you know where my friends were put Superboy?"

"Down the hall. It's the door on the right." He replied, racing against time to find his new allies.

Finally spotting the door Superboy had to be talking about, Winter slowed down her running and came to a stop at familiar looking metal doors. "Dammit! They locked this one too!"

"I'll get it open." Superboy spoke with confidence, walking over to the large metal doors in his way. Cracking his knuckles and slamming his hands right into the door like it was paper, Superboy clutched onto the metal and effortlessly ripped them off its hinges. Carrying the door over his head and throwing it to the side.

Taking off into the room while Superboy was discarding the door, the ice heroine gasped in surprise when she saw her team mates. Trapped in pods just like she had been, strange mechanical-like machines had injected themselves into all of their chests, sparking with high voltage electric shocks. However underneath each pod seemed to be a weird looking sphere, water and what appeared to be blood circling inside.

"Don't worry! I'll get you guys out of there!" Focusing her powers and flicking her wrists upward, four thin yet sturdy looking needles made of pure ice appeared in between her fingertips. Rushing towards the console nearby, Winter threw them at the controls, watching them fly through the air and lodge themselves into the controls.

The ice slowly melting from the heat of the broken controls, the water fell onto countless wires before finally short circuiting the entire thing and watching it explode.

The machines lodged within them losing power and shutting themselves down from the broken controls, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash groaned, relief washing over them as the pain finally subsided.

"Are you guys okay?!" Winter asked frantically, trying to look over her friends who looked like they had gone through Hell.

Robin, the first who looked to have regained his energy back, quickly moved his wrist around in his cuffs. With lock pick in hand and watching the locks finally let go of him, the boy wonder landed on the ground feet first. Rubbing his burning wrists, Robin looked up and smiled at the sight of Winter. "We're as okay as we can get. We're just glad to see you."

Lightly touching the bandage covering her eye, Winter shook her head and used an icicle to vault her up to Aqualad's pod. "Me too, though I'd rather have the sidekick reunion after we got out of here. This place is crazy."

Cuffs being unlocked from Aqualads' wrists and jumping down to the ground along with Kid Flash, the sidekicks got together and looked at one another with determined gazes.

"Anybody got any ideas to get out of here without getting spotted?" Kid Flash asked, rubbing his sore neck.

"Cadmus has most likely warned all of their Genome experiments to stop us. We'll need a fast route out. The express elevator is our best hope." Aqualad explained matter of factly.

Pulling up a hologram of the map he had downloaded earlier, Robin hastily looked through the blueprints to find the quickest escape. "The map only shows the upper ground levels. We'll just have to push our way through whatever comes at us to get to the elevator."

"That's already hard enough with most of us getting the crud beaten out of us. We'd need Superman with us to fight some of those big monsters." Kid Flash said, wincing from a sting a pain in his chest.

"Well it's a good thing I'm here." Superboy said, walking into the room and towards the sidekicks.

The three boys eyes widening in shock, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin readied themselves for a fight. Water bearers pulled out, goggles on, and batarangs ready, the teens were just about to make the first strike...

"Wow wow wow! Don't attack!" Winter exclaimed, seeing the hardened looks on her friends faces a she ran in front of Superboy to shield him. " We talked while I was captured. He rescued me. He's on our side now."

"Our side?! He beat us all up right after we let him out!" Kid Flash yelled, his eyes glaring at the Superboy before shifting to Winter who was shielding him. Now that he had gotten a better look at her, the speedster noticed what appeared to be a large bandage wrap covering her left eye socket. That hadn't been there before! "Hey! Did you hurt her!?" The speedster yelled.

Growling at Kid Flash from behind Winter, the living weapon clenched his hands into fists. "You better stop yelling at me."

Eyes narrowed on the supposed ally and shifting to Winter who was looking to the group with pleading eyes, Aqualad lowered his weapons and soon enough placed them back on his back. "Let's listen to what he has to say. While the battle did end quickly, I am certain our friend here was not in control of his actions when we encountered him out of his pod. If Winter says he is with us, than it is true."

Turning his gaze to Aqualad, Superboy grunted before crossing his arms and nodding. "I don't care what you think. I'm getting outside, whether I'm with you or not."

Seeing the group in a stand off of sorts, Robin shrugged his shoulders and placed his weapons back into his pockets, watching the scene go on. "He seems pretty determined about it. This isn't the way I imagined us getting Superboy out of here, but he's with us now. And it just means more firepower for us to use against the bad guys."

Still glaring back at Superboy while the others talked, the speedster finally relented and groaned. "Fine. But I'm watching you. You try anything to my friends or snow angel and you'll be messing with the wrath of Kid Flash." The speedster said, pointing a finger at him.

"If you guys are done arguing," Winter spoke, moving back to look at the group and motioning a thumb to the exit. "I think it's about time we get out of here. You can yell at each other once we're on actual ground."

"Agreed. Let's move." Aqualad ordered, the teens looking to one another before turning heel and heading out the doorway.

* * *

Yay! End of chapter! Well, I guess this means another part is coming. I'm hoping to type it up soon, but with work taking over the next couple of days and the holidays, I may be in for a rushed time. Maybe I can have it out on Christmas Eve?

The team has gotten back together after a strange turn of events. Though some aren't as easy to accept the powered Superboy than others, this group will just have to find ways to work together to get out of this Hell Cadmus really is. And once they do, how is everything going to turn out?

You'll just have to read next time! Have a good day/night/holiday!

P.S. Oh, I'm also going to be posting the titles of the next chapters now. Thought it would be fun. Perhaps the title will spark interest in some readers when they try to guess what could happen. ;3

Next Chapter: Fireworks


	5. Fireworks

Hi everybody! Here is the next chapter. Sorry it took a while longer than I wanted it to. Stupid pneumonia is making it hard to think properly and find the energy to write, but I will persevere! And thankfully it came just in time for the new year! Yay, my first chapter of the new year! My only worry is that getting chapters out will be a lot harder once school starts up for me again, so I hope this keeps you preoccupied until then.

So this chapter should by the final part of Independence Day. The team going through quit a bit since they banded together, they have now got Superboy on their team and are ready to break out of Cadmus. But are they prepared for the battle of a lifetime through an underground facility filled with crazy weaponized creatures and dealing with an anger prone team mate? Let's hope so because they got no choice! XD

Reviews are always appreciated, so please give some kind words or critique once you're done reading.

Thoughts = _'Thoughts'_

Telepathic Communication = _**"Telepathic Communication"**_

Sound Effect ***Sound Effect***

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any of the DC material used or what it is based on.

* * *

"Winter! Hostiles on the left!" Robin cried out, the smaller detective taking notice of a pack of genome creatures running towards them down a nearby hall.

"I got it!" Skidding to a halt and letting the others run ahead of her, Winter focused her ice powers and created a large icicle dagger in her hand. Taking a moment to carefully aim at the ground nearby the Genomes, Winter threw the dagger towards them and let it hit the ground ahead of them, the icicle stabbing the ground with force before growing larger every few seconds. Letting the ice gather further, it wasn't long until the ice coated the walls and grew higher and higher until it finally stopped and resulted in an ice wall blocking the Genomes path.

Taking off and following after the others down the closest pathway Winter kept her running pace as she examined the area they had found themselves in. "So what's the plan exactly?"

"We are still forty two levels below ground, but if we can make it to the express elevator we'll find out exit." Aqualad replied back, leading the group in their escape.

Their path clearing just a few feet away the familiar loud rumbles of large figures began to shake the ground below the group's feet. Slowing their pace, the end of the hallway revealed the large forms of yet even more Genome creatures, the size of elephants and ready to stop the group.

"That does not look good." Kid Flash commented, skidding to a halt and staring at the large creatures ahead of them. Turning his gaze behind them in an attempt to find some other way out the red head noticed the strange organic bubbles lining the walls beginning to glow red. The glow getting brighter and brighter, strange forms began to move around as if alive until finally beginning to pull themselves out to reveal the clawed Genome creatures Guardian was with before. "And that doesn't look good either!"

"Get around them! We just need to out run them and get to the elevator!" Robin called out, pulling out his grappling hook and aiming for the ceiling. Letting the tool latch onto the wall above them the boy wonder allowed the tool to pull him off the ground, mounting on top of one of the large Genome creatures to jump over them.

Following Robin's lead Kid Flash and Aqualad mirrored his moves and ran towards the large Genome creatures with increased vigor. Watching the creatures get closer and closer until moving downwards to throw a punch the two heroes dodged the attack and vaulted over the creature, using their speed to push themselves over the back of it and land behind the large group.

Knowing she wasn't going to make the jump like her comrades Winter focused her ice powers before slamming her hand on the ground below her, letting her ice begin to coat the floor beneath her own feet and the Genome creatures blocking her path. Taking off towards them with as much speed as she could, the ice user jumped onto the icy floor and skated off towards the creatures ahead of her.

Seeing the girl heading towards them, a Genome creature swung its arm in an attempt to strike her, but with her speed going beyond its own attack and remembering her training with Ice Maiden, twirled her body in a spin to dodge the punch and slid beneath the space between the large creatures legs to halt behind them with her friends.

Superboy however was taking his approach a bit more directly. With the group together and away from most of the Genome soldiers, it was the loud crashes and shaking of Superboys' attacks that caught the groups attention, his punches to the large monsters chests coupled with his angered yells of frustration.

Clenching his teeth in irritation, Aqualad called out to the angered clone. "Superboy! The goal is escape, not to bury ourselves here!"

Bringing down another one of the large Genome creatures and trying to catch his breath, Superboy growled and turned to the sidekicks with anger written all over his face. "You want escape?!" Superboy yelled out angrily. His rage consuming his thoughts and hearing Aqualads' order Superboy quickly grabbed one of the downed Genome creatures by the arm and threw it towards another Genome using his super strength.

"Am I still the only one questioning if its a good idea running around with this guy?" Kid Flash asked out loud to nobody in particular as he sped off to the elevator, the red head feeling a bit nervous at the sight of their newfound companion throwing around giant creatures like rag dolls.

Taking the opportunity to head back to the elevator, Robin and Aqualad began working on breaking the doors open. Using his tools to hack through any leftover security on the door, Robin motioned for Aqualad to do his thing and waited as the Atlantean used his physical strength to pry open the doors.

Taking out his grappling hook once more and motioning for Aqualad to grab ahold of him, Robin aimed at a part of the elevator wall and let the sharp metal attach itself before vaulting him and the Atlantean into the elevator shaft and onto a nearby ledge.

Kid Flash following soon after, the speedster took off stopped for a moment before jumping to land on a ledge just beneath Aqualad and Robin. "Where's Supey and Winter?"

"Kinda busy!" Winter's voice called out from the hallway nearby, shooting a stream of ice to cover part of the hallway behind her and Superboy. Cutting off her powers to focus on their escape, Winter felt the arms of Superboy wrap around her waist to keep ahold of her and felt herself being pulled off the ground. Holding onto her companion as he began to fly into the elevator shaft to safety, there was a short pause in mid air before a strange sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. They weren't moving?! But why?

It was the surprised voice of Superboy that confirmed the strange feeling, the weaponized boy giving a look of confusion as the two began to steadily be pulled down by gravity and fall down the shaft. "I-I'm falling?"

Knowing there wasn't going to be much time before gravity took them down faster, Winter once again focused her powers as best and as fast as she could before letting the familiar form of an ice sword appear with a glow in her hand. Hastily moving her arm to get a better target on the wall next to them, the ice user stabbed it forward into the wall as hard as she could, gritting her teeth as the sword began to cut through metal and shards of ice began shipping away from the makeshift weapon. For the moment she was thankful her messed up eye was bandaged up. Who knew what more ice shards could do to damage it.

Feeling the two slowly but surely slow down, Winter felt the rush in her stomach finally subside for a moment when their descent stopped fully, groaning a bit as pain from her eye began to resurface from the blood pumping in her veins. "That was really close. Are you okay Superboy?" Winter asked in a hasty breath, looking over at her dejected partner.

Still focused on the fall the two nearly got caught in Superboy shook his head and looked up at the endless floors that went skyward above them. "Superman can fly. Why can't I fly?"

Watching the confusion fall over the boy's face, Kid Flash momentarily pushed his hesitation of their new ally to the side and gave some reassuring words. "Don't know, but it does look like you can leap buildings in a single bound. Still cool."

Being helped down onto the ledge below their feet by Kid Flash, Superboy sighed and planted his feet on the ledge below him, his gaze downcast for a moment before shifting to Kid Flash. "Thank you." He spoke quietly, disappointment still in his voice.

"Hey guys! Sorry to ruin the moment but this is gonna have to be our exit!" Robin yelled out in warning, the detective helping his friends notice the quickening pace of the express elevator descending down towards them.

"Superboy, get the door!" Aqualad called out, moving ever so slightly to make it closer and closer to their exit.

Gripping his hands onto the wall as best he could, Superboy turned his body towards the metal doorway ahead of them before pushing himself off the ledge with his strength, using his momentum and power to break the doors down and simultaneously roll onto the floor's ground. Soon enough Winter, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Robin followed suit through the door way, the last making a hasty roll out into the hallway as the elevator hastily speed downward, narrowly missing the group.

Wiping a bead of sweat on her forehead, Winter looked up to the doors the group had jumped through and took notice of the painted numbers above the elevator doorway. "Looks like we're on floor fifteen. Almost home free."

 ***hiss***

Hearing the familiar hissing of genome soldiers coming down the hallway, Winter rolled her eyes and motioned the group to run in another direction before taking off in a sprint alongside them. "Of course they show up when I say something."

"Anybody see a directory map on the way in here?" Kid Flash called out, keeping up his running pace next to Robin and Superboy as his eyes scanned the walls for any sign of an exit or map.

 _'What are we going to do?'_ Superboy thought, his mind feeling heavy and hurting from the rapid thoughts going through his mind. The escape plan that the group had set up was being made on the spot every second and improvised to get away from any Genome threat they faced. However now they were just running in circles and being chased by a large mount of Cadmus experiments. What other plans did they have up their sleeve?

" _ **Turn left brother."**_ A voice called out inside Superboys' mind.

For a moment Superboy nearly tripped over his own feet at the sound of the voice directing him. Who was that? What was that? His conscious? Had he been here before but couldn't remember? Was it trustworthy to listen to whatever that voice was?

Knowing there was not much time to make a decision in the moment the group was in and seeing there was no solution to their problem Superboy shook his head and decided to trust whoever it was calling to him, his gaze moving towards the group as he spoke confidently. "Go left!"

Not knowing which route to take on their escape attempt and seeing there were no other options to fight against the young sidekicks gave a nod of trust to Superboy, turning the left corner as soon as it came up and continuing down another long corridor.

" **Got right."** The voice called out again, catching the Genomorph clone's attention.

His gaze determined and his focus high Superboy called out again. "Right! Go right!"

The group once again following after Superboys' direction this time turned the next nearby corner to the right hand side. Kid Flash being the first to move on ahead of the group stopped his movement when he noticed a wall in the group's way. Looking at the large wall mounted with a small metal grate above the speedster turned to Superboy with an annoyed look on his face and raising his arms up in frustration. "Ugh, great direction Supey. Are you trying to get us podded again?"

Watching the group stare at the dead end they were now in and hearing the anger in Kid Flash's voice, Superboy looked to the group in a confused daze. "No, I...I don't understand."

Slowing down to stop behind Kid Flash and Superboy along with Aqualad and Robin, Winter frowned at the dead end the teens faced, but moved to rest a hand on Superboys' shoulder to try and comfort him. "It's not your fault Superboy. Anybody can make a mistake in the heat of the moment."

"I wouldn't call this a mistake. This is perfect." Robin proclaimed with a smile behind the rest of the group. Moving ahead of the group to face the wall in their way, Robin pulled out his grappling hook and pointed it towards the metal air vent grate above and shot at it. Letting the magnetic charge of the hook take hold of the small metal slab, the boy wonder hastily pulled it off with his upper body strength and watched the slab of metal clang to the floor below.

"Get in. I've got a plan." Robin ordered with a smirk, taking out his hacking tools and beginning the motions of his scheme.

* * *

"Someone, Robin I'd wager, hacked our system and deactivated our internal security cameras." The voice of Dr. Desmond spoke in a hasty breath as he ran alongside Guardian and his telepathic Genomorph assistant Dubbilex. Focusing his eyes on a data pad in his hands, the screen was aglow with activity and showing off a map of the air vents of the Cadmus property, along with a group of moving dots in the metal corridors.

Smirking to himself as the dots began to move in on a location nearby them, Dr. Desmond pointed to a men's restroom on the floor. "But he neglected the motion sensors. The Genomorphs I sent should be closing in and should all be coming out here."

Pushing the door aside and walking into the empty restroom alongside his bodyguards and Genomorph soldiers Dr. Desmond looked down to the data pad in his hands and looked up at the only air vent in the room. "We have them cornered." The scientist spoke with confidence.

The motions of metal clanging and footsteps getting closer and closer by the second, Dr. Desmond readied himself for the capture of his targets from their escape. Unfortunately his hopes had shattered when the metal vent finally was broken down by force and instead revealed the steady stream of Genomorph soldiers pouring out from the small crawl space.

Unable to move out of the way in time Dr. Desmond groaned in pain when a Genomorph soldier flew out of the vent and knocked him right in the stomach, pushing the older man down onto his back and knocking the air out of him. Groaning on the floor in pain, Dr. Desmond looked back at the data pad in his hand and pushed the Genomorph soldier off of his body in anger.

"He hacked the motion sensors."

* * *

"I hacked the motion sensors." Robin said confidently, a satisfied smile on his face at his plan working as he had wanted.

The teens all sequestered in a quiet hallway of Cadmus nearby a flight of stairs, the teens took the chance they had to catch their breath and gain their bearings. Had it not been for Robin's quick thinking and hacking skills the group would surely be in a much sticker situation.

"We've still got plenty of time and space between us and them, but we need to keep moving if we want the upper hand." Robin replied while punching in the last few keys on his hacking system and shutting it down.

"Agreed. Kid, can you move on ahead and clear us a pathway out?" Aqualad asked, turning to the goggle wearing teen.

Giving a knowing smile Kid Flash grabbed his goggle and adjusted them neatly over his eyes. "You bet. I've finally got room to move." Giving a friendly wave to the group, Kid Flash swung the door open to the large flight of stairs and turned away before speeding off in a yellow blur, heading up the stairwell and leaving the rest of the sidekicks behind.

Nodding and watching their team mate go on ahead, Aqualad ran into the stairwell soon after with the rest of the group, making sure to dodge any leftover Genomorph soldiers not knocked down by Kid. "Winter, block our path every two flights of stairs. We don't want them following our trail."

"They won't get past us." The ice user replied back, turning on her heel as she did so and shot a large ray of ice on the staircase behind the group. Letting the ice freeze the path behind them and covering their route, Winter frowned when she saw the familiar clawed Genomorph soldiers coming up the stairs and begin to jump over the wall she had created. "Okay, maybe they might!"

"Lets see them get past this!" Superboy cried out, moving down the stair way next to Winter and moving his leg up into the air. Letting his anger fuel his strength the super clone slammed his foot hard on the staircase behind them, watching as the metal stairs began to dent and crack until finally breaking off from the stairwell and pulling the Genomorph creatures downwards.

A bit shocked by the powerful and slightly over the top move made by Superboy, Winter shifted her gaze from the newly made pitfall to the super boy next to her. "I guess that's one way to stop them."

"Superboy, Winter! C'mon!" Robin cried out from two flights of stairs above them, the younger teen looking down from his spot to flag the two.

Turning to hear the call of their friend, Superboy and Winter gave a nod of agreement to one another and ran off up the last flight of stairs to follow the rest of the team. Making their way into the next room, the first thing they could notice was the metal walls covering the hallways around them along with blaring red lights and an alarm going off.

Making their way further down the hallway after Robin, the heroes skidded to a halt at the sight of a large metal door, secured tightly and blocking their pathway to freedom. Kid Flash on the ground, the speedster rubbed his head in pain as he looked up at the wall that had popped up.

"Looks like they really don't want us getting out of here." Kid Flash complained, rubbing his head as he got up from the ground.

"Yeah, you think?" Robin retorted back while breaking out his hacking equipment. Typing at various keys to try and get through the security of the door, the boy wonder glared at the holographic screen in front of him. "Can't hack this fast enough."

"Then let's just try to pull it open ourselves." Winter suggested, running over to the doors and gripping the edges of the door tightly and using what physical strength she had to pull at the doors. Following her lead Aqualad and Superboy did the same and grabbed onto the edge of the doors to pull them open. Still despite the combined efforts of the three the doors would not budge, leaving the three to groan in frustration.

"This isn't working. We need to find another exit." Aqualad said.

"Well we're not going the other way!" Kid Flash yelled, turning back to point towards the other end of the hallway, a group of Genomorphs stampeding towards them.

Looking back and forth in the small amount of room they had, Robin ran over to a door on the wall nearby and swiftly kicked it down, running inside to lead. "This way!"

The group following through the doorway and keeping their pace up, they once again found themselves in another hallway similar to the one they had escaped from. Continuing down the hall, the group stopped running and frowned at the sight of yet another group of Genomorphs blocking their path. Ranging from the large elephant sized Genomorphs, the clawed lizard like creatures, and even the mentally capable G-gnomes, all surrounded any form of exit or hallway to the group, with the leader, Guardian standing at the front.

"This is the end of the line." Guardian announced with a glare to the intruders.

Hearing another group of Genomorphs coming from behind them, the group hastily began to ready their weapons for a fight. Aqualad with his water bearers, Kid Flash readying for a fist fight, Robin with his batarangs, Winter with her hands glowing with an icy frost, and Superboy with his super strength.

It was quiet for a moment, the two groups standing against one another in a face off. Nobody said a word to each other, with only eye contact and the burning heat of battle ready to be set free on either side. However no battle came in that next moment. The teens readying themselves for whatever attack was going to come at them, the groups eyes widened a bit when they noticed the smaller Genomorph gnomes begin to activate their powers.

Surrounded by many groups of them and the room around them gaining a soft blood red glow from their powers activating, the teens gritted their teeth in pain as the gnomes began to use their mental abilities on them. Still not used to the mental manipulation of the strange creatures, one by one the group fell to the ground unconscious, their weapons falling to the ground alongside them.

Seeing the intruders and Superboy unconscious on the ground, a figure slowly walked out from behind the group and examined each human on the ground before looking back to the unconscious Superboy.

 _ **'Perhaps for the sake of all Genomorphs our brother Superboy should make up his own mind.'**_ The telepathic voice of Dubbilex voiced throughout the room. Focusing his telepathic powers towards their Genomorph brother, Dubbilex focused his mind into Superboys' and began to rouse him from his unconscious state.

* * *

A pain.

Numbing pain was forming in his head.

It was...familiar. Something he'd been used to. The Genomorphs? He could remember the feeling of their telepathy clawing inside his mind back when he was in his pod. But why were they inside his head now? Had they been captured? Did Cadmus get to them?

A sudden shot of energy burst into his mind after that thought, his eyes shooting wide open as a mental wave of energy roused him from his slumber. Shaking his head to try and regain his sense, Superboy began to turn his gaze back and forth around the room. Genomorph soldiers still surrounded him and the rest of the sidekicks, their bodies still and not moving an inch. Almost as if they were observing him.

But why? They should have been captured by now. Wasn't that their goal?

" _ **It is good to see you again Brother."**_ The telepathic voice of Dubbilex spoke within Superboys' mind, making the dark haired teen turn to look at the taller Genomorph.

Superboys' eyes widened in surprise at the message. Not because of the way it was given to him within his mind, but for another reason.

That voice. He'd heard it before.

Deciding to follow Dubbilexs' lead in their conversation, Superboy began to speak to the Genomorph with his own thoughts and turned to look at it. _**"It was you."**_

Giving no indication of emotion or surprise by Superboys' reaction, Dubbilex continued. _**"Yes. I set the fire and lured your new friends down into Cadmus. Woke them when they were in danger-"**_

"And guided me." Superboy finished, the pieces of puzzling adventure the group had slowly forming within his mind. Still trying to understand everything the Genomorph was telling him, Superboy frowned. _**"But why?"**_

His gaze hardening at the question, Dubbilex motioned to the various Genomorph soldiers surrounding the group. "Because you are our hope. The Genomorph hero. You will blaze a trail for all our brothers, showing us the way to freedom." Dubbilex explained, his telepathic thoughts laced with confidence and some semblance of aspiration.

Showing a sign of good faith to Superboy, the tiny G-Gnome usually accompanied with Guardian atop his shoulder jumped off to the floor below, allowing the mental control over the hero to slowly die down.

Feeling the control over his mind begin to fade, Guardian held his head as it slowly began regaining its senses. His eyes opening and closing a few times, Guardian stared at the room around him, letting the new freedom he had allow him to take everything in. "What's...going on?"

Seeing their intentions truly were good and hearing the groans of the other sidekicks beginning to wake up, Superboy turned his gaze from his waking friends to Dubbilex.

" _ **What is your choice brother?"**_ Dubbilex asked, his gaze focused on Superboy.

Fists clenching at the telepathic question given to him, Superboys' gaze faltered to the ground as he thought over the choice. Was this his only chance to choose? To make such a huge decision that could change his life? It had to be. He'd never been given so many choices to take in his time before, nor had he ever been outside his pod for this long. This had to be the only chance he could take.

Knowing the answer deep inside himself, Superboy gave a determined look to Dubbilex, his voice hardened with confidence in his next words. "I. Choose. Freedom."

His answer sufficient and seeing the gaze in his brother's eyes, Dubbilex slowly turned his powers off, his gaze softening at Superboy. _**"A wise decision."**_

Taking this chance to help his friends, Superboy turned back around to help the other sidekicks back to their feet, helping to pull Winter off the ground and watching Robin help Kid Flash. Winter, who was rubbing her sore head from the mental attack from the Genomes, gave a thankful nod to Superboy before staring at the hordes of Genomes still surrounding them.

"Are we still fighting?" Winter asked confused, her right eye shifting to the few team mates she could see and the Genomorphs still surrounding them.

"Lets us ask. Guardian?" Aqualad called, the Atlantean turning his gaze over tot he recovering veteran hero.

The helmeted hero turned his gaze over to the sidekicks in front of him, rubbing his head from the mental wave of energy still leaving his body. Shaking off the last bits of it Guardian gave a nod of approval. "Go. I'll deal with Desmond."

"I think not."

Turning around and moving clear from the area the voice came from, Guardian and the Genomorphs looked off towards the source of the voice, that being the lab coat wearing Dr. Desmond standing behind them. Anger seeping from his face and a glare directed at the sidekicks at the center of the room, the scientist moved his hand forward to reveal what appeared to be a small test tube, contained within it a glowing blue liquid.

"Project Blockbuster will give me the power I need to restore order to Cadmus." Dr. Desmond claimed in a low tone. Giving one final glare to the populace in the room the scientist took the vial in his hands and placed it to his lips and began to drink the chemicals down. Throwing the vial to the ground as he swallowed the liquid, Dr. Desmond began to groan in pain, the chemicals beginning to work into his system.

Stepping a few steps back from the convulsing scientist on the ground, Guardian moved an arm to have the sidekicks back away. "Keep your distance!"

Continuing to watch the strange actions of Dr. Desmond, the scientist continued to convulse in rapid movements on the ground for a few more seconds. His nails grinding into the metal floor beneath him, the doctor yelled in pain as his body began to slowly grow in size, his clothes ripping at the seams from his ever growing stature. Along with his growing body, the doctor turned his gaze upward to glare at the sidekicks, showing that his eyes were no longer a natural color, but instead a glowing blood red and his once human caucasian skin beginning to tear off him to reveal hardened blue skin and sharper teeth.

Clawing his way back to his feet with the help of the wall behind him, the once human Dr. Desmond stood up and a staggering height, towering over the sidekicks and rivaling that of the elephant sized Genomorphs. His transformation over and his form fully changed from the chemicals, Dr. Desmond roared with rage, his body covered in blue skin and red veiny cracks along the surface. His clothes ripped and turning to the sidekicks with an animalistic anger, the newly created monster gave a menacing smile, signaling that he still had some fraction of his mind retained in his new form.

"Everyone, back!" Guardian ordered, moving his arms out to motion for the Genomorphs and the sidekicks to not make a move. Deciding to take care of the new threat himself the helmeted hero ran towards the Blockbuster at a quick pace. Jumping towards the creature to get in a punch, Guardian's plan was foiled with a counterattack, Blockbuster swinging his arm and slamming the hero hard into the wall ahead of him.

Watching the battle go on and his anger building again, Superboy ran off to take a crack at Blockbuster himself and jumped towards him. Throwing his fist towards the creature and feeling his skin collide hard into his foe's face, Superboy continued to counterattack with countless attacks despite the punches Blockbuster was giving to him. Getting hit with a strong punch by the transformed scientist and skidding on the floor, Superboy growled and leaped towards Blockbuster in a rage.

"Superboy wait!" Winter called out in the hopes of stopping the powerful teen from attacking again. Unfortunately being too slow to react, Blockbuster retaliated with his own attack and jumped towards Superboy, grabbing him in the process and slamming him further into the ceiling, the two disappearing into the floors above them.

Running to look at the newly made escape route the two power houses had created, Robin readied a grappling hook and pointed it upwards. "Okay, that's one way to bust through the ceiling."

Moving to grab onto his friend, Kid Flash gripped onto Robin as the two sped upward to follow Superboy and Blockbuster. "You think lab coat planned that?"

"I doubt he is planning anything anymore." Aqualad commented in a serious tone, moving back a few steps before jumping upwards to follow his friends and join the battle.

Left on her own in the room with the Genomorphs, Winter began to focus her ice powers below her feet, readying herself to be vaulted by another one of her icicles. Keeping herself low to the ground she scanned the room once more to look at the many Genomorph creatures around her.

Her eyes spotting Dubbilex and the two sharing a moment of understanding, Winter gave a knowing nod to the strange being. "We'll take care of Superboy." The white haired teen said before turning back and letting the icicle below her vault her upwards to the battle ahead.

" _ **See that you do."**_ Dubbilex replied back telepathically, watching the heroes disappear from the Genomorphs sight.

* * *

Landing onto the floor beneath her feet and regaining her footing, Winter moved her good eye upwards and looked towards the battle alongside Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin.

A few feet away Blockbuster and Superboy still went at one another with various punches and kicks to each others body, however it seemed the larger creature was getting the upper hand. The super teen getting another good punch in yelled in pain at the feeling of his leg being gripped by Blockbuster. Turning his body to throw the teen off into the newest intruders, Superboy was flung towards the sidekicks, slamming into Aqualad and the two sliding on the ground from the impact.

Running towards her friend to help pick him up, Winter pulled Aqualad to his feet and helped to check for any injuries. "You guys okay?"

"I'm fine." Superboy replied back annoyed. Rubbing his head and getting up to his feet with the help of Robin and Kid Flash, the five teens stood side by side and stared out towards the enemy in front of them. "Hit this guy with everything we've got?"

"You bet. Lets take this clown down." Kid Flash replied confidently, taking his goggles and placing them over his eyes.

"I've got enough energy to keep going with my ice, but I'm gonna need help navigating the left side of my vision. Can you handle it Robin?" Winter asked from her spot, her gaze focusing further at the reminder of her bandaged eye.

"Yeah, just stay on his right hand side and don't let him hit your blindspot. I'll cover you." Robin said, getting his equipment ready for whatever came next.

Breathing heavily and glaring at the formed team of kids in front of him, Blockbuster roared a great yell and sped off towards them, his arm raised to strike them down.

Kid Flash taking the initiative in battle stepped in first, using his super speed to maneuver below the oncoming monster. Using his speed to slide beneath the opening between Blockbuster's legs, the red head turned to look back to his opponent and gave a smirk. "Now!"

Hearing the signal and taking their chance, Aqualad and Superboy ran towards Blockbuster before jumping towards him, raising their fists back before flinging a hardened punch to the creatures face. Taking the hit and knocked back by their combined force, Blockbuster slowly began to lose his balance and toppled backwards onto his back with the help of Kid Flash using his crouched body.

Moving back to stand up and looking at the combined effort the three sidekicks made, Kid Flash gave a smug look to Blockbuster. "Learned that one in kindergarten."

"Lets hope we've got enough tricks up our sleeves!" Winter yelled back at Kid's comment. Running towards the battle and letting ice coat the floor beneath her, the ice user began to skate quickly towards Blockbuster at a quickened pace. Focusing her powers and aiming at the arms and legs of the monster, Winter shot rays of ice towards the creature and watched as ice clung to Blockbuster's left side before skating and sliding of to the right hand side of the building and out of the way of the next combined attack.

"Take this ugly!" Robin yelled as he vaulted over Kid Flash and flung batarang explosives towards his target. The explosives hitting their target thanks to the ice trap. Taking the attack due to the ice trap still holding him down, Blockbuster roared in pain as the explosives hit their mark, smoke beginning to fill the room.

Waiting for any sign of movement from their enemy, the sidekicks quickly moved back at the sight of moving rubble, the form of Blockbuster shattering himself free from the ice on his arm and leg. Knocking off leftover debris from his body and getting back off to try and counterattack, Superboy retaliated quickly with another wave of punches towards the large beast only to be slammed into a pillar nearby.

Seeing Blockbuster move his hand back to give the unconscious Superboy in his hand another punch, Aqualad hastily readied his water bearers and let his magic take over his water supply. His tattoo arms glowing signaling the use of his powers, the Atlantean created a whip of water and wrapped it around Blockbuster's readied hand to keep it from moving. Not able to match the physical strength of Blockbuster Aqualad allowed himself to be pulled in by the creature and flipped himself overhead towards the pillar in front of him.

Using his speed for a means to power his next attack, Aqualad used his water bearers and focused the water around Blockbusters arm to come off and shape into a new form. Changing them to form his signature morning star weapon, Aqualad swung his weapon down hard towards Blockbuster to attack, but was shocked to feel his attack blocked by the creature.

Not wanting to waste this chance to take down the Atlantean, Blockbuster grabbed Aqualad from his position and threw him hard into the ground like a rag doll, the boy groaning in pain on impact. Doing the same to the unconscious Superboy, Blockbuster threw the experiment towards another pillar, watching as he crashed threw it and fell hard onto the floor below.

"Leave them alone!" Winter yelled towards Blockbuster as she shot a ray of ice towards the large monster. Watching as her attack hit its mark, Winter did her best to distract her opponent before moving her other hand towards his feet, slowly letting ice freeze him to the ground.

Feeling the ice beginning to crawl up his skin, Blockbuster roared and began to slam his arms together to chip the heavy ice away, shards scattering through the air as he did so.

Taking this moment to concentrate on her powers, Winter gave a few deep breathes and visualized the crafting of ice before her fists glowed in a white light. Letting her powers slowly finish their work and form themselves, Winter gripped her fists tightly as the glow of light died out and revealed a pair of knuckle weapons made of pure ice.

 _'I hope these can last me long enough.'_ Winter prayed mentally, looking down at her newly made weapons before sprinting off towards Blockbuster. Moving as quickly as she could to make it towards the distracted monster, Winter focused her ice powers and created an icicle beneath her to vault her at great speeds towards Blockbuster's face and swung an icy punch to the man beast. Thankful that her punch collided with him, Winter landed on the ground behind her enemy, using this chance to regain her breath and check the ice weapons she had created. _'There's cracks in them already. It's still not enough.'_

"Winter, on your left!" Robin yelled out in warning.

"Wha-" Hearing Robin and turning to her left hand side to try and see what it was, the ice user cursed when she realized that she couldn't see. Not able to see the oncoming attack heading at her, Winter yelled in pain as a large slab of debris slammed hard into her side, knocking her off her feet and rolling on the floor in pain. Gritting her teeth in pain at the sudden impact, Winter winced at the feeling of her left arm stinging with a shot of pain.

 _'I have to get up! I'm not going to let it end like this!'_ Winter angrily thought, ignoring the pain in her body and did her best to force her shaking body up from the ground. Her left arm was stinging badly and she was sure the taste of blood was in her mouth. Spitting out the red liquid from clogging her throat, the ice user turned her head upwards to see Blockbuster stalking towards her, a smug grin on his face.

"Rraaagh!" The familiar anger fueled yell of Superboy resounding in the room, the solar suit clad teen jumped up from his previous spot on the other side of the room, clinging onto Blockbuster's back and beginning to barrage the beast with punches. "You wanna fight somebody?! Fight me!"

Speeding off towards the downed Winter, Kid Flash grabbed ahold of the weakened girl and moved her over to Robin's side, skidding to a halt and looking over his hurt team mate. "You okay Winter?" Kid Flash asked, trying his best to keep his cool.

Groaning at the question and holding her head in pain, Winter looked over at the red head with her own good eye and kept herself steady on her feet. "If having a concussion is "okay", than yeah I'm a-OK." The ice user sarcastically replied, a groan escaping her lips soon after.

Gritting his teeth at the answer and looking back at the battle Aqualad and Superboy were trying to hold onto, Kid Flash looked to Robin."We're getting creamed! Tell me you've got a plan to beat this guy Rob."

Typing away at his holographic computer to try and look for weak points in the structure of the building, the boy wonder glared down at the projected plan and gave a determined nod. "Got a plan. Think you can do this?" The mini detective asked, moving the projection over for Kid Flash to look at.

The plan set into pieces and showing off how each part was to be done to be a success, the speedster gave a nod of approval. "Got it. I'll distract him!"

Taking off at high speeds to set the needed plan into motion, Kid Flash headed towards Blockbuster and jumped towards him, punching him in the face and pulling off something in the process. Landing down on the floor and turning back to smile at the beast man, Kid Flash looked over at the contents he had pulled from Blockbuster, strange web skin that appeared to be a part of his body. "Heh, got you nose!"

Taking notice of the speedster once again joining the battle, Blockbuster thew the dazed Superboy off to the side and ignored the tired Atlantean nearby him as well. Roaring in anger at the boy and running towards him, the large man creature began his onslaught of attacks towards Kid Flash, every now and again getting in a punch and knocking the teen off his feet.

Noticing that the distraction plan was working, Winter began her part of the plan and focused her energy back into her knuckle weapons. Letting the ice slowly repair itself and do her best to strengthen the small weapons she wore, the ice user ran over to Aqualad and Superboy to help them up and motioned them to go back to Robin to be filled in on the plan. Watching them run off, Winter frosted the floor beneath her and skated towards Blockbuster using her speed to skate around the beast and shoot ice rays in the eyes of her enemy.

"You could warn me next time you use the ice!" Kid Flash called, nearly slipping a bit from the frost that was forming on the floor he ran on and headed straight ahead to Blockbuster.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that in our next life or death situation!" Winter retorted back, following behind Kid Flash as fast as she could. Utilizing the speed from her skating to move closer to Kid Flash, the speedster skidded to stop and crouched down low, allowing the ice user to jump atop his back and vault herself upwards towards Blockbuster. Directing her physical strength in this close up punch, Winter roared in anger as her ice knuckled fist collided into Blockbuster's face, the force knocking the monster back somewhat and landed on the ice below to skate away from their target. "Robin, is the plan ready yet?"

"Just about! Get ready!" Robin yelled back from a spot in the room. Chalk in hand and finishing up the last part by drawing a large "x" mark where he needed Blockbuster to be, the boy wonder ran off to the side and took out an assortment of batarangs and threw them, lodging them in various wrecked pillars in the room. "Water ready Aqualad?"

Finishing the last of his work and using his water bearers to spread a layer of water across the floor of the room, Aqualad gave a nod and moved back a bit to allow more room for the group to move. "Everything is set."

"Kid, lead him over!" Robin yelled.

"Ooh, you can't catch me! You gotta be better than that!" Kid Flash taunted, moving his arms around as he shifted around the punches of Blockbuster. Taking off towards the planned destination or Blockbuster, Kid Flash turned his head back to be sure the crazed scientist was following him. Heading to the other side of the room and skidding across the watery floor, Kid Flash looked back over at the oncoming Blockbuster and waved his arm up. "Supey, your on!"

Moving on que to his signal Superboy appeared from what seemed like out of nowhere and vaulted upwards into the air. His strength flinging himself downward, Superboy threw a hardened punch into the face of the Blockbuster and watched as the giant fell hard onto his back, his body colliding onto the soaked floor below. Jumping out of the way of the watery floor, Superboy turned his gaze to Aqualad and gave a nod. "Light him up."

"With pleasure." Channeling electricity through the magic run tattoos around his arms, Aqualad readied himself and crouched down to the ground, slamming his electrified hands down on the water. Coursing through the water on the floor the electricity finally made its way to its target and surrounded Blockbuster, electrocuting the large creature with high voltage and keeping him from moving.

Finally removing his hands from the water and seeing the dazed giant slowly try to regain his senses, Aqualad used his water bearers and focused his magic to make the water beneath Blockbuster's feet pool closer around his feet. "Everything is set Winter! Keep him in place!"

"I thought you'd never ask." Winter replied back confidently. Wiping a leftover drop of blood from the side of her mouth and concentrating her ice powers once more to visualize the tool she needed, the ice user flicked her wrist outwards and gripped the handle of a newly made ice sword with her right hand. Pointing the sword upward in a sword stance and taking a moment to focus her mind on the task at hand, Winter lunged the sword downward into the floor below, letting the crafted ice stab straight down into the ground.

Gripping the handle and her hands glowing with frost, the ice user allowed her powers to flow through the sword like a conduit, letting her ice work its magic and having the water glow around Blockbuster in a soft light before springing out of the ground in the form of icicles in various directions. Though large in size and sharp enough to stab through a wall, the icicles merely trapped the limbs of the large creature and kept him from moving further.

"I'm done. Take it from here Robin!" Winter called out, letting the ice sword go and running back towards the rest of the group.

"The blast is coming up. Move!" Robin yelled, motioning everyone to run as far back from his designed blast zone as they could.

Small buzzing sounds beginning to slowly go off within the room, pillars littered with the batarangs Robin threw earlier now lighting up like the fireworks of July. Their alarms blaring fast and faster to signal their detonation, the small explosives soon enough went off, the combined explosions taking out the necessary pillars in the room.

One by one parts began to break and fall apart. The pillars, the walls, the lighting, and even the roof. Unable to break away from his ice prison Blockbuster roared in anger as debris began to fall towards him. In that moment the once brilliant doctor realized the mess he had put himself through, the mess he tried to clean up for Cadmus, and the mess of a plan he tried to keep hold of.

Only to be thwarted by a group of teenagers.

* * *

Quiet silence filled the lot that was once owned by Cadmus. The genetics building now in rubble, smoke bellowing from the debris, and rubble covering the sidewalk and streets around it. It was a never ending sight of destruction and chaos, but the result came from a good choice, or so the sidekicks thought.

The group slowly ascending from the rubble thanks to the strength of Superboy, each teenager groaned in pain for some reason or another and looked out at the sky above them, thankful they weren't underground anymore.

Taking a couple deep breathes to regain his lost oxygen from the explosion, Aqualad stared out at the city around them and turned back to look at each team member. "W-We did it." The Atlantean said, disbelief laced in his voice.

Standing alongside Kid Flash in tattered uniforms and also taking gasps of breath, Robin smiled and rubbed his neck. "Was...there ever...any doubt?"

Smiling at Robin's smug question, Kid Flash raised his hand up to give his friend a high five. "Go...team sidekick." Clapping their hands together in a sign of friendship, the two boys gained grim looks on their faces as the sound of cracking bones could be heard during their high five. Wincing in pain the two rubbed their sore arms but continued to smile despite it all.

Watching the two boys hold their arms in pain, Winter shook her head and rubbed her own sore wounds such as her stinging arm and still bandaged eye. Her skirt ripped at the ends, slashes cut through the sides of her uniform, and small specks of blood staining her white outfit. She was sure she did not look like a pretty sight, but at the moment she was too tired to care. "You know when I agreed that we do this or go out in a blaze of glory, I didn't mean we literally try to explode." Winter said as she wiped leftover specks of blood of her lip.

"It was fun though. Admit it snow angel." Kid Flash groaned with a grin, trying his best to look cool despite wobbling to get up to his feet.

"Fun is the last thing I'd describe this mission as." Winter replied back, doing her best to stand up on her own two feet. She was tired, her body was probably bruised in a lot of places, and the Cadmus building was pretty much in rubble despite the need to be discreet. Surely the group was going to be in serious trouble when the League found out about it.

But for some reason, Winter just couldn't seem to care. Everything she had been through that night made up for whatever surely was going to come next. Her day previously had consisted with her being lied to about becoming hero by her mentor and others, watching a friend leave her behind and insult her, and her father threaten to end her career as a hero. She was about to lose everything in this one day, but instead of letting that happen she took the initiative. She dared to go against the will of the adults that had taught and controlled her for so long, and as a result she had...no she survived an adventure so grand that she'd never forget it.

She snuck into a genetics lab with her friends.

Battled against weaponized creatures.

Fought against impossible odds.

Survived various wounds to her body and mind.

 _'And I made a new friend.'_ Winter thought quietly to herself, her gaze shifting over to Superboy who was helping her friends get back onto their feet. Though their first meeting was not the way any of the teens had thought it was going to go, in the end they had been able to convince Superboy to trust the and come along with them to the outside world. Now he would be able to choose and do what he wanted to do, rather than Cadmus. He could be happy.

Smiling at the thought of Superboy being a bit more cheerful than what she'd seen of him, the white haired teen hadn't noticed the blue eyed boy staring right back at her. Feeling a warm sensation creep up in her face at the eye contact, Winter did her best to smile and push down the strange emotions that were coming up all of a sudden. It had to be the adrenaline still in her system.

Yeah, that was it.

Slowly walking over to join the rest of the group Winter gave a smile and a thumbs up. "Mission accomplished."

"You bet it is. And we get to show Supey the moon." Kid Flash replied, pointing to the large floating rock in the sky. Looking over to the cloned boy, Kid Flash smiled. "I knew it was a good idea to let you out."

Gripping his chest in pain from a chuckle escaping his lips, Robin looked at Kid Flash and shook his head. "Yeah. You were totally on board."He replied, sarcasm evident in his voice.

Standing next to Superboy and gazing up at the moon herself, the ice user shifted her gaze to Superboy to see his reaction. "Do you like it? The moon?"

His eyes only continuing to stare up at the large and mysterious rock in the sky, Superboy gave no verbal answer, but his face gave it all away. Everything around him, the buildings, the moon, the sky, the stars. He was just too focused on taking everything in, worrying that if he blinked it would all disappear. The way the moon glowed in the sky, the stars sparkling around it, the moving object coming towards them...

A moving object?

Using his heightened vision to try and make out what it was making its way towards them, Superboys' eyes widened in shock as the form finally took shape as it moved closer, the familiar symbol that he wore mirrored on the same floating figure. Dressed in red, blue, and yellow and flowing cape behind them, Superman continued his way down towards the group.

Following Superboys' eyes and noticing the imposing figure of Superman coming towards them, Winter did her best to stand her ground, hoping to look confident despite the damage the group was surrounded in. "Does he look mad?" She quietly whispered out to the others, trying her best to keep her cool.

Slowly descending from the sky above, the great and powerful form of Superman, along with other heroes of the Justice League began to make their down to the ground below. Each landing on a pile of rubble or the ground below, the many members of the Justice League stood their ground and stared back at the teens, no signs given or words spoken. It was as if they were observing them, waiting for them to make the first move.

Moving a bit closer to the rest of the group due to the intimidating gazes of the heroes staring, Kid Flash quietly whispered back. "I think they're all mad."

The silence filled the air around the heroes and sidekicks. Nobody made a move at first, nor a sound to indicate anything. All that went on was the sidekicks staring back at the veteran heroes they had been trained by, learned from, and strived to be like.

 _'Well, this isn't terrifying.'_ Winter thought, a shiver going up her spine at the many looks the veteran heroes were giving her and the rest of the team. Her eyes darting back and forth at the many figures around them, the ice user took notice of her mentor Ice Maiden, the older woman standing alongside Aquaman, Batman, and The Flash. Seeing the older woman's gaze look back towards her, the younger ice user felt like she'd jump out of her skin, but continued to stand her ground despite feeling shame slowly creep up on her.

Noticing that nobody was making any movements or sounds at first, Winter shifted her gaze from the figure of Superman and looked back to Superboy, their newfound friend still staring back at the alien hero in awe. Deciding to help give their new companion a helping hand, Winter slowly moved her hand to pat Superboy on the back, motioning him to walk towards Superman as she gave him a supportive smile. "It's okay. You can talk to him."

Feeling the encouragement from Winter's words, Superboy moved his gaze to the ground until moving it back up at stare back at Superman. Taking the first step towards the imposing hero, Superboy slowly continued to walk, slowly forgetting the nervous feeling he was having deep inside him as he made his way closer. Finally reaching the hero at an agreeable distance and staring face to face with the older alien, Superboy gripped the tatters of his solar suit and moved it upwards to reveal the Kryptonian symbol printed on his suit.

Shock was the only thing written on Superman's face, at least from what Winter could see. Soon enough his shock slowly disappeared, but rather than see kindness or pity in the eyes of the hero, all the ice user could see was...disappointment? Anger? She wasn't sure which it was, but she knew that look. Her father had a look on his face like that almost anytime she saw him.

Taking the opportunity to begin his investigation, the famed dark knight walked out towards the group, moving ahead of Superman to look at the beat up teenagers in front of him, and more specifically take notice of the surprising new addition to the sidekicks group. "Is that what I think it is?"

Watching the conversations between the group and the heroes slowly begin, the rest of the sidekicks made their way to stand by Superboys' side, Kid Flash moving his hand off to the side of his face in an attempt to whisper. "He doesn't like being called an it."

Fists clenched at the misdirection of the conversation and feeling like he was being ignored, Superboy glared down at the ground before staring back at Superman and Batman, a burning confidence in his eyes. "I'm Supermans' clone."

 _'I guess the cat's out of the bag now.'_ Winter thought, looking at the heroes shocked faces at the revelation being told to them by Superboy. Moving closer to try and shield Superboy from the hard gazes of the heroes, Winter did her best to hold her ground. "We can explain everything. Honest."

It was at that moment Ice Maiden walked over, the older woman's gaze looking down at her protege with disappointment. However as the older woman got a better look at her beat up sidekick she was able to take notice of the bandages covering part of her face. Reaching over to grab Winter's chin, Ice Maiden inspected the wrap up job and gave a worried look. "What happened to your eye snowflake?

Hearing the question, Robin frowned and shook his head. "It's a long story."

"Start talking then. Now." Batman ordered, his voice serious as always.

The teens all looking at one another to try and figure out how to start their story, Aqualad took a deep breath and stepped in first to explain. "Cadmus has a secret facility underground hidden by the public. It's powered by creatures they are creating called Genomorphs, some being able to produce electricity, which is why they are off the grid."

"Each one of them has got crazy powers like telepathy and claws and stuff. They attacked and nearly killed us." Kid Flash added, hoping his words would help the groups situation.

Keeping his gaze on his mentor, Robin spoke next. "We wanted to investigate Cadmus further during our mission and we discovered Project Kr. Superboy." The boy wonder explained, turning his gaze to look over at the clone. "Like he said he's a clone from Supermans' DNA. He was being taught and trained beneath Cadmus to be a weapon."

"We got captured. Beat up too, though some more than others." Winter chimed in, a bit embarrassed at having to explain the groups failure and motioning to the eye wound she had. "Superboy and I talked for a bit and I helped convince him to come with us. He doesn't want to be trapped beneath Cadmus forever. He wants to see the world and meet you, Sir. So we helped free him and he helped us." Winter replied, looking to Superman as she spoke.

Pulling out his holographic interface and typing in various keys to show files of data he had collected, Robin walked to his mentor's side and scrolled through the many bits of information the group had collected on Cadmus. "Everything's here. We were able to collect data on some of the Genomorphs and the specs on Project Kr, but by then we got chased out."

"And had to fight big, bad, and ugly over there." Kid Flash pointed out, sticking his thumb out to point to the unconscious Blockbuster creature. "Dr. Desmond. He worked for Cadmus but drank some crazy liquid and turned into that thing. We had to fight him, but we took him down."

"And the result of that fight lead to the explosion and collapse of their fake Cadmus lab." Aqualad finished, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "We did not mean for this mission to get out of hand in such a way."

"I'm sure you didn't." Batman replied back, the detective going over the information Robin showed him. Taking a copy of the data from his protege and placing it in a compartment in his belt, the dark knight looked at each sidekick with a hardened gaze before speaking again. "Who's idea was it?"

A bit shocked by the question, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Winter looked to one another as if to try and find some way to answer the hero's question. None of the teens said anything at first, still not sure what exactly they should say. They had already explained the situation with Cadmus and getting Superboy out, but they never thought they'd want to know who decided it was a good idea to sneak in. What would the punishment be? Would they lose their hero status? Grounded for life? Never be able to join the League?

Gritting her teeth and feeling like she'd explode from the heavy pressure building up on her, Winter stepped forward and did her best to look professional. Keeping her hands behind her back and back straight from years of practice from her father to better her stance, the ice user stared back at Batman with the best amount of adult confidence she could muster in her state. "It was my idea."

"What?! No it wasn't!" Kid Flash argued back, trying to help take the blame.

"KF's right. You didn't tell us to go." Robin added, moving over to Winter to try and convince her to stop talking.

"I might as well have." Winter argued back to her friends, the ice user looking back to her friends and giving them a thankful smile. "This might be my last moments being a hero. Let me be cool for a couple more seconds okay?" She joked sadly in a hushed whisper.

The two boys frowning at the comment Winter whispered to them, the two teens gave an understanding nod and moved back, letting Winter take the floor. Smiling and giving a thankful nod to her friends, Winter turned back and continued to explain. "I was excited about today. Thinking I was going to join the Justice League and be with my mentor and all the great heroes here." Winter began, doing her best to try and find the right words to explain. "I thought today would be the day for all of us, but Speedy told us everything and explained how we were tricked. I was sad at first, but then I got mad. I needed this to go well today and I had to join the Justice League at any cost. I just wanted to be a hero and help people."

"Winter?" Ice Maiden called out, her eyes showing confusion and pity at watching her protege try and explain her reasoning.

Looking to her mentor with a saddened look, Winter shook her head and continued. "My father said he wanted me to quit being a sidekick since I wasn't getting anywhere. If I didn't improve or get into the League today the hero life for me was over. I didn't want that, so when Robin mentioned something about Cadmus I jumped at the only chance I thought I had. Kid, Robin, and Aqualad got dragged along because I was being selfish." Winter finished, her hands balling into fists behind her back as she tried to work through the shame she was feeling.

"No. You are wrong." Aqualad spoke out at Winter's words. Walking over to the ice user and resting a comforting hand on her shoulder the Atlantean smiled. "You were not acting alone. We all played a part in this grand scheme of ours. Poetic justice remember?"

Speeding over to stand on the other side of the ice user, Kid Flash gave a thumbs up. "We followed you of our own free will cause we wanted to help. And we got to kick some serious butt on the way too."

"We were taught to stick by our friends no matter what." Robin added, moving back over to the group of sidekicks and gave his usual cheeky smirk. "Wouldn't be heroes if we left one of our own behind."

Letting her friends kind words sink in, Winter smiled at her fellow sidekicks and reveled in the heart warming moment the group shared despite their circumstances. It was a tough battle and it was even tougher trying to explain their situation to the very mentors they had learned beneath and disobeyed. But through it all, Winter could feel that everything was going to be okay in the back of her mind.

Watching the teens converse add their own words into the mix of Winter's confession, Batman looked to each of the sidekicks that stood before him. "Is that the story you're sticking with?"

The four teens looking to one another in silent communication, Winter smiled and turned her gaze to look at Batman with a confident nod.

"Yeah. It is."

* * *

"You should have called sooner. If you had you wouldn't have obtained such nasty scratch." Ice Maiden spoke, crouched in front of her protege while taking a look at her wounded eye.

The explanation of the groups plan had gone as well as Samantha had hoped. It was nerve wracking the entire time to run for her life and try and survive the madness that was the labs of Cadmus below ground, but it was even worse having to try and speak out in front of the entire Justice League, even with Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad to back her up. The odds seemingly stacked against them though, the lull from their conversation had set in and so far there had been no yelling or punishments dished out.

At least not yet.

"I tried. We all did. My tracking beacon wasn't working. We were too far below by the time we called." Winter replied back, wincing a bit at the touch of her mentor. Sitting down on a piece of ruble as her mentor checked her over, the ice user moved her good eye upward to look at Ice Maiden. "...Ice?"

"Yes snowflake?" Ice Maiden asked, continuing her work to check her protege's damaged eye.

Hearing the cute nickname her mentor had called her since they teamed up, the ice user moved her head downwards and gritted her teeth, her voice hitching a bit as the emotions she had bottled up were beginning to flow out. "I...I'm sorry." Winter quietly spoke, gripping the ends of her combat skirt tightly.

Stopping her checkup to watch her protege slowly begin to break down her hardened walls, Ice Maiden smiled a bit and moved Winter's face upward to wipe a stray tear running down the teens face. "No crying. No need to be sorry."

"But...But I disobeyed you. I left on a mission without your permission. Didn't contact you when I should have. You should be furious with me." Winter complained, trying her hardest not to look childish.

"I am not mad." Ice Maiden spoke, scanning over her tired looking protege and dusting off a few specks of dust on her uniform. "Disappointed, but not mad. Being mad goes nowhere and I don't like being nowhere. Tough work you did today, not something easy for kids your age. We...I should have put trust in you better. Told you the truth. Perhaps things go differently if I did." Ice Maiden explained, the woman's voice faltering a bit at remembering the days events.

Using this moment to sit next to her protege on the slab of debris, Ice Maiden looked eye to eye with Winter and rubbed her back soothingly to try and comfort the tired teenager. "You were a real hero tonight little snowflake, as hard it may be for spooky bat or man of steel to see. They may be mad, but deep down they are proud. I am sure of. They are just too manly to show." Ice Maiden joked with a hearty grin.

Sniffling a laugh at Ice Maiden's words, Winter wiped the few tears that had left her eyes and gave a nod showing she understood her mentors' words. "Thank you Sigrid." Winter whispered in thanks, feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Smiling a bit to herself and looking out at the Justice League still doing their work, Samantha's gaze moved to the rest of the sidekicks who stood together awaiting their mentors return from their discussion. Wanting to go over to them, Winter looked back over to her mentor. "Ice, can I-"

"No need. Go to friends. Be there for one another." Ice Maiden said smiling, urging her partner to go to the other sidekicks.

Smiling and giving a thankful nod to her mentor, Winter got up from her seat and walked back to the group. Walking over to stand next to Robin and Superboy, Winters' face grew a small frown of worry. "How did the talk with your mentors go?"

"Same as always with Batman. A lot of silence and information gathering." Robin replied, kicking a small stone on the ground. "I still can't get past that bat glare of his."

"My king did not say much, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I do not believe he is happy with our actions despite the good intentions we had." Aqualad spoke, his gaze moving to look back at Aquaman in the distance.

"You guys regret any of it?" Kid Flash asked, the red head turning to look at the sidekicks one by one.

"Not in the slightest. I don't know how this is all going to turn out, but I'm glad we did it. If my hero career is ending here, I've got a cool adventure to go out on." Winter said with a satisfied smile. Seeing the other sidekicks return her answer with their own smiles, the ice user looked over at Superboy who was off to the side form them and continued to watch Superman in the distance.

 _'Has he just been watching him the entire time?'_ Winter thought, her eyes focused on the rigid form of Superboy who continued to stare off at his parental figure.

Quietly stepping over to Superboy to stand by his side, Winter looked to the younger super and moved her gaze to the heroes still talking ahead of them. "Has he come to talk to you yet?"

"No. Not yet." Superboy answered automatically, his voice no longer holding any of the anger or rage that the ice user was used to hearing.

"I'm sure he's just surprised by everything. He'll come around Superboy." Winter said, keeping her voice optimistic to try and cheer the Genomorph boy up.

Eyes focusing on the ground below, Superboy shrugged his shoulders unenthusiastically. "Yeah."

Resting a hand on the boy's shoulder in to try and comfort him, Winter jumped a bit when she noticed the man of steel himself walking towards them. Poking Superboy to get his attention, the super clone looked back up and stared face to face with who he thought of as his father. Silent and awaiting an answer, Superboy watched as Superman began to fidget in place.

Giving a heavy sigh, Superman spoke. "*sigh* We'll umm...we'll figure something out for you. The league will, I mean." The alien said, correcting his words every few seconds. "For now...I better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." His face still holding hints of doubt and confusion, the famed hero turned has back to Superboy and flew off into the sky, leaving Superboy to watch his only family fly away.

 _'That's it? That's all he could say?'_ Winter thought in shock, watching the discussion go back and forth until Superman flew off. She was mad at first, seeing Superman just blatantly rush off and away from Superboy. Had he done that just to try and get away from the super clone? No that couldn't be right. Superman was a good person. He wouldn't willingly ignore someone, not his own son. Right?

Deciding to let the anger she was feeling subside for the moment, Winter looked back to Superboy and noticed the confused expression on his face. Unsure if it was the right thing to do, the white haired heroine placed a hand on his forearm, trying to signal to the boy that he wasn't alone. "Superboy, are you okay?"

His body stiffening at Winters' touch, Superboy turned his head to look straight to Winter face to face, his eyes filled with what looked like hesitation and disappointment. "I'm fine." He quietly answered back.

 _'You're not. I can see it in your eyes.'_ Winter thought sadly, her icy blue staring back into the disappointed blue of Superboys'. The two said nothing after that, letting the awkward silence from Supermans' departure take up the rest of their time.

"Cadmus will be investigated." Batman spoke up, him along with Green Arrow, Aquaman, Flash, and Ice Maiden behind him. The teens looking back to the dark knight as he spoke, the hero continued. "All fifty-two levels will, but lets make one thing clear here-"

"You should have called." The Flash answered seriously, cutting off Batman to say his piece.

A light glare put in his direction for his interruption, Batman turned back to the sidekicks and continued. "End results aside we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."

Listening to what their mentors had to say about their actions, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, and Winter stared at one another and nodded to each other before turning back to face their mentors. Being the eldest, Aqualad stepped forward first. "I am sorry, but we will." The Atlantean answered strongly.

"Aqualad, stand down." Aquaman ordered, his voice authoritative with the might associated with the king of the sea.

Looking to his mentor and placing a hand over his chest, Aqualad shook his head. "Apologies my king, but no. We did good work here tonight. The work you trained us to do. Together on our own we forged something powerful. Important." Aqualad reasoned, his eyes burning with passion as he spoke from the heart.

Watching the mentor and protege begin to go back and forth during their conversation, Flash stepped in to try and mediate. "If this is about your treatment at the hall, the four of you-"

"The five of us." Kid Flash added, stepping into take on his own mentor. "And it's not."

Moving a strand of her white hair behind her ear and watching the heroes discuss back and forth, Winter spoke up. "We appreciate everything you've done for us. We all do. You taught us, took some of us in when we needed someone, showed us what we could do and brought us into a world where we can help people. We love doing what we do, but we can't keep being treated like kids. We've been through enough to be considered more than just sidekicks." Winter added, crossing her arms over her chest in a defiant manner.

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us. Or why teach us at all?" Robin asked honestly, walking a few steps closer to look eye to eye with his mentor.

His gaze focused on the ground as the sidekicks tried to argue their point, Superboy gritted his teeth as anger began to boil up inside him again. "Why let them tell us what to do?" He asked with hostility. Looking up at the sidekicks and moving his focus to the heroes the super boy stepped forward. "It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way."

Surprised by the inclusion of Superboys' words, Winter couldn't help but nod in agreement at their new friends voice of reason. The sidekicks standing side by side together, they turned to look to their mentors, passion and determination set in each pair of eyes staring them down.

"Give me three days." Batman finally answered, his eyes focusing on each of the sidekicks staring back at him.

Eyes widening in unison at the dark knights' answer, the sidekicks looked to one another and nodded. "Three days isn't too long." Kid Flash said out loud as the sidekicks made their way to their mentors.

Making her way back to Ice Maidens' side, Winter stopped mid step and turned back to look over to something the group had forgotten. "Uh guys?"

Hearing Winter call out to them, the teens all stopped in their tracks and turned around to see what it was Winter was getting their attention for. Finally taking notice of the elephant in the room, the three boys frowned at the sight of Superboy standing off to the side, not making any signs of following them.

"So uhh...where's Supey going to stay?" Kid Flash asked, a bit embarrassed that he'd forgotten about their friend.

Trying to fit the pieces together to find out a good enough compromise for their friends living arrangements, it was the small raised hand of Winter and her voice that found the answer. "He can stay with me. If that's okay with you Superboy?" Winter asked, looking over to her friend and giving him a friendly smile.

His eyes staring back at Winter after hearing her proposition, the super powered teen did nothing but shrug his shoulders. "I guess."

"I knew you'd say something like that." Winter said with a chuckle.

"Are you sure snowflake? Your father will be okay with this?" Ice Maiden questioned, her voice giving concern at the mention of her partners' father.

Frowning at the mention of her dad, Winter gave a nervous smile to Ice Maiden and shrugged her shoulders. "It'll be fine. We've got plenty of room at my house. I'll find a way to convince him."

It was going to be a very awkward conversation that was for sure.

* * *

 ** _-Freya Mansion_**

 ** _Star City, July 5th, 2:00 A.M. PDT-_**

It had been a long ride back to her house, or at least that's what Samantha thought it felt like. Thanks to the help of Reginald picking her and Superboy up from the nearby zeta tube transport, the two had made it back to her home in record time. The sun still not rising to greet Star City and activity at an all time low at that time in the day, it was a miracle Samantha had any chance during her car ride back to try and think up various ways to explain her condition, the mission, and most of all Superboy.

She had only returned from the mission and now here she was standing in the hallway of her house, waiting outside the doorway alongside Superboy and waited for her father to be ready to speak with her. Still dressed in her ripped up uniform and her hair and eyes back to their original brown shade, Samantha stretched her newly bandaged arms and waited for what would come next. Reginald was most likely explaining that she had returned with a new guest in tow, along with her injuries the servant had helped to patch up after returning home with Superboy.

How would her father take all of this? Would he be mad? Disappointed? Would he be furious that she had done something so crazy to jeopardize herself and her career? And what about Superboy? Would he be mad that she brought a boy of all things back with her? What would he think?!

"Lady Freya?" Reginalds' voice called out.

"What?" Breaking away from her thoughts and looking up from the ground, Samantha stared back at Reginald who gave the nervous teen a smile. "Y-Yes?"

"Your father is ready to see you and...your guest." Reginald replied, his eyes shifting to Superboy as he spoke.

Doing her best to hide the nervous feelings inside, Samantha returned the smile and gave a nod. "Thank you Reginald. You can go to sleep. I'll take care of it from here."

"Of course my lady, but please do call if you need anything." Giving a bow of respect to the young girl, Reginald soon made his way down the hall, leaving Samantha and Superboy to stand alone in the room together.

Her eyes staring at the slightly ajar door ahead of her and the light peeking out from the crack, Samantha nervously took a breath and motioned for Superboy to follow her. Moving towards the door and giving a soft knock to the door with her hand, the brunette peeked her head into the room and slowly made her way inside.

The room was just like it always was. The walls painted in a sleek gray and a red carpet covering the floor, various sized furniture ranging from a mahogany desk, matching cushioned chairs and paintings hung from the walls. Notes and files covering the work desk inside the room with tidbits of genetics research and formulas scribbled down, it was not a challenge to guess this office was owned by Nikolai Freya, hard working geneticist and entrepreneur. To be honest it always intimidated Samantha when she walked inside. Everything she saw she couldn't figure out, understand, or relate to with her own father. It was like being in another world. His world.

His back facing her and staring out at the window nearby his desk, the older man holding a small glass in his hand with a strange colored liquid in its contents.

 _'He's drinking this early already?'_ Samantha thought sadly, her gaze shifting from the glass in her father's hand to his back.

"Sit." Nikolai ordered, taking a sip of his drink as he motioned to the chairs in front of his desk.

Knowing that arguing wouldn't get her very far in the conversation right away, Samantha followed her fathers wishes and took a seat down in one of his chairs. Superboy reluctantly did the same, though he sunk into his chair and sat in a slouched position.

"Let me see if I have all of this...figured out." Turning around to look at the beat up figures of his daughter and her guest, Nikolai frowned, but continued his words. "I told you that to keep your position as a hero you would need to be sure you improved. Do something or be recognized as something more than a simple sidekick. I fully expected to hear that you would be joining the ranks of the Justice League after you told me how important the day was yesterday."

Taking another sip of his drink, Nikolai walked around his desk and began to slowly pace the room, walking back and forth to continue his train of thought from behind Samantha and Superboys' seats. "However what I did not expect was to hear no word for the rest of the day, and even more so was a surprised and confused when Reginald wakes me just an hour ago to tell me that you'd finally returned from your so called initiation into the Justice League, only to learn that not only are you not a League member, but that you broke into a high security genetics lab, potentially lost your vision in your left eye, and have brought home... _this boy_." Nikolai concluded, his eyes staring through the back of Superboys' skull as he finished his last thought.

Keeping quiet while her father vented out the frustration he was sure to have had been building since her arrival, Samantha gripped her skirt tightly and looked back to her father, hoping to get a word in. "That's not exactly everything father. There's a lot more to this than you know."

Staring back at his daughter with interest, the older Freya walked back to his chair and pulled it out, taking a seat comfortably and placing his drink on the desk top. Folding his hands on the desk in front of him, the older man stared back at his daughter and waited. "Go on. Explain yourself."

Nodding at the chance she was being given, Samantha shifted her gaze over to the quiet Superboy who was watching the two talk. "This is Superboy. He's a clone created by Cadmus, the lab my friends and I...investigated."

Eyebrows raised at the mention of cloning, Samantha's father turned his gaze over to Superboy with interest. "A clone you say?"

"Uh huh. From DNA they stole from Superman. We went to investigate the lab since Batman was suspicious about it. We wanted to prove ourselves to them so when we went in, we ended up finding a lot more than we bargained for and got captured. The eye injury sort of came about from that." Samantha added, touching her bandaged eye with her finger tips before continuing. "We convinced Superboy there was a better life for him outside Cadmus, so he came with us and helped us escape. The Justice League weren't very happy about it at first, but Batman is giving us three days to make a decision on what we get to do next. He knows the other sidekicks and I don't want to be sidekicks, so now we're just waiting to hear what he says."

His eyes still focusing on Superboy as his daughter explained further into her previous adventure, Nikolai shifted his gaze to his daughter for a moment. "And...Superboy was it? Why is he here?"

 _'Oh I hope this works.'_ Samantha thought. Her eyes looking downward for a moment to try and find the right words, the brunette spoke. "He needs a place to stay until we hear back from Batman. I thought since the mansion is so big and we have all these rooms...he could stay with us father? Just until Batman calls us back. He doesn't have anywhere to go."

"Stay here?" Nikolai repeated, his eyes narrowing as he thought over the decision. Drinking from his glass again the older man turned his chair to look at Superboy, the teen still quiet and giving no indication of wanting to join the conversation. "Tell me boy. Why aren't you staying with your father, Superman?"

Eyes hardening into a tight glare at his hands in his lap, his large hands began to clench into tight fists at the mention of the man of steel. Keeping his gaze lowered, Superboy shook his head. "I don't know."

Noticing the frustration on her friends' face, Samantha moved over to gain her father's attention and move the conversation forward. "Superman...he's a bit busy and couldn't accommodate Superboy in time, which is why I offered him a place a stay. So, can he stay father?"

His daughter's pleading words ringing in his ears, the older Freya combed his hair back with his hand and stayed quiet for a few moments to let the idea sink in. Drinking the last drop of his alcoholic drink and coughing a bit, Nikolai Freya looked to Samantha and Superboy. "I am disappointed still with the outcomes that have happened from this day prior Samantha. I expected better judgment on your part as my daughter and being trained as a sidekick for so long and to obey the laws."

The words hitting her like a solid wall, the brunette frowned and hung her head in shame. He was right, Despite everything she had helped to accomplish she had broken countless rules and made some pretty crazy choices to do so.

"However," Nikolai spoke, making Samantha look up to her father. "I see that this opportunity you took has helped to build another path that could lead you to being more than just a sidekick, something I wanted for you since the beginning of this career you set yourself on. For now, I will allow Superboy to stay at the Freya mansion."

 _'Did he really say what I think he just said?!'_ Samantha thought in shock. Worry had coursed through her since she had returned from her mission, never knowing what her father was going to say, what he'd do after she explained everything. He had never been the most understanding person during her childhood, always working and choosing her path for her as she grew up. What had changed to make her father submit to her plea? Perhaps her effort had finally paid off?

"Oh thank you father! You don't have to worry about a thing. I'll take care of everything Superboy needs and make sure nothing goes wrong. You have my word." Samantha answered confidently, getting up from her seat and wrapping her arms around her father in a thankful hug.

"See that you do." Nikolai answered back, wrapping his arms around his daughter in a light hug. "I'll have Reginald send Superboy to a guest room. You go to your room and rest. I'l need to check your eye later in the day to make sure nothing is damaged."

Her breath hitching in her throat for a moment as she felt her father wrap his arms around her to return her hug, Samantha felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest. "Of course. I'll be ready when you call." Samantha hastily replied back with a smile, letting go of her father and giving a proper bow of respect.

Nodding and watching Samantha walk out of the room with Superboy, Nikolai spoke up. "Oh and one more thing. Superboy?"

Hearing his name being called, the dark haired teen turned his head back to look at the older human. "Yeah?"

"Stay out of my daughters' room." Nikolai warned in a deep voice, the older man giving a glare of warning to the super teen before shooing the two teens out into the hallway.

* * *

"I can't believe father agreed to let him stay." Samantha said to herself. Back in the comfort of her room and dressed in a pure white night gown, the brunette girl combed out her hair and stared back at her reflection in the mirror.

Though Reginald had done his best to help bandage every cut her could find on her skin and taking a shower to wash off the dirt that had covered her body from her battling, even Samantha could tell that she looked like a wreck. Felt like it too.

She still wasn't sure if the conversation she had just had with her father...was real. Did that really happen? In all the times she could remember talking with her father, she'd never been able to find a moment where the two could come to a good enough compromise like they had that early dusk morning. Maybe her decision to become a hero was a close second, but even that hadn't gone as smoothly as this conversation.

 _'Usually he's wanting to control every decision I make. Did he see how much effort I put into this mission? How much I wanted this?'_ Samantha thought, combing the last strand of her long hair and putting the comb down on the dresser. 'Still even with him agreeing

Taking a deep breath and turning around to scan over the dark room, Samantha's eyes stared at the dirty remnants of her hero costume, the outfit sitting on the desk in the corner. "I hope the others are having better luck with their parents than I am."

 ***knock knock***

"Lady Freya? Are you awake still?" Reginald asked, knocking on her bedroom door.

Eyebrow raised in confusion at the sudden visit, Samantha walked to her door and opened it to reveal Reginald, with folded clothes in hand. "I am. Is there something you needed Reginald?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you when you are about to rest Miss Freya, but it I am having trouble delivering sleeping garments to your guest. He won't open the door for me, most likely because he does not trust me. I know it is improper for a butler to ask, but would it be possible you could give these to your friend? I am sure he would be much happier to open the door to someone he knows."

"It's no problem Reginald. I'll take care of it. You can go ahead and rest. I don't think we'll be needing your services for a while anyways." Samantha responded with a smile, taking the folded pajamas and closing her bedroom door.

"Thank you young master. I'll be sure to wake you and your guest for breakfast when it is ready." Formally bowing to the young girl, Reginald smiled and gave a friendly wave before walking off down the hall, leaving Samantha on her own with clothes in hand.

"I can't believe he won't open the door for anybody. Maybe he fell asleep already?" Her bare feet walking along the cold tile floor beneath her, Samantha made her way down the long hallway that housed the room Superboy was placed in. Making her way to the door and moving her hand hand up to it, the brunette softly knocked on the door to try and signal her friend. "Superboy? Are you awake?"

No answer replied back.

"Hello? Superboy?" She called out, but made sure to keep her voice low so she didn't somehow alert her father. Who knew what he would do if he saw her trying to get in his room. "I guess I could just go inside." Reaching towards the door handle to open the door, the ice user stopped momentarily.

Would it... be a bad idea to walk inside?

 _'Of course it would be a bad idea you idiot! What would father think?! You're invading someone's personal space! And a guys' room no less!_ Her inner conscious screamed in her head.

Her face flushing a bit at her thoughts reminding her that she was going into a boys room, Samantha clutched the clothes in her hands tightly. "I-I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just going inside to give Superboy clothes. And check on him. That's all I'm doing."

Grabbing onto the door handle and gripping it tightly due to her nerves, Samantha shut her eyes tight and opened the door, making sure she couldn't see anything inside. "I-I'm coming in!"

Silence was the response she got. No sounds came back to her once she had opened the door, save for the light gust of wind that came from her swinging the room door open. A bit worried by the lack of noise or response, Samantha slowly opened her eyes to look into the room she had bursted into.

Nothing. Nobody was inside.

"S-Superboy?" Samantha called out, a bit confused at the sight she was seeing. The room decorated similarly to her own room but with varied furniture, seemed like it had barely ben touched. No pieces were moved, the bed somewhat used from the impression she could see, but no Superboy was there.

Walking into the room and scanning for any signs of the super clone, Samantha moved around the room to inspect every bit of the room. She knew sh had walked into the right room. Reginald himself had showed where Superboy would be sleeping after all.

Not finding any indication of him under the bed or in some dark corner, the brunette moved to the closet on the wall nearby. She hadn't checked there yet. Grabbing onto the dresser handles and pulling the doors wide open to look inside, the brunette shrieked and fell back on her butt, the sight of Superboy sleeping upright on his feet in the closet scaring the girl.

Eyes opening from the shriek, Superboy let his eyes focus and looked downward to Samantha, who was getting up from the ground. He didn't say anything, but Samantha could tell he had been awoken from a sleep.

"Superboy, what are you doing in the closet?" Samantha asked, rubbing her sore behind and picking up the clothes she had dropped.

Adjusting himself to pull himself out of the closet, Superboy walked out and stood right in front of the shorter brunette. "Not used to sleeping in a bed. The closet reminded me of the Cadmus pod, so I tried sleeping in there."

"The...Cadmus pod?" Samantha repeated, not sure if she understood Superboys' reason for his sleeping arrangements. "Um...I guess I can understand. You're not used to the bed and all, but you can't sleep in the closet every night. It's not good for you. Not to mention the bed is a lot more comfortable than sleeping on your feet." Samantha replied with a smile and shrug of her shoulders.

Brown iris staring back at his blue, the two stood in front of one another in a comfortable silence. It was during this time Samantha couldn't help but notice the features of Superboys' face as the two continued in their silent staring contest. His deep blue eyes, chiseled features, nice jawline. She hadn't had a chance to properly look at Superboy during their escapades at Cadmus, so now that a chance was here...Why couldn't she stop staring at him?

"Your eye."

"What?" Samantha quietly asked, feeling as if her voice had disappeared for a moment.

"Is your eye hurting still?" Superboy asked again, breaking the silence the two had shared.

Realizing that she had been caught staring, Samantha moved a bit on the heels of her feet and moved her hand to lightly touch her newly bandaged left eye. "It's...doing better. It isn't hurting as badly as it was before. Thank you for asking." Samantha replied, lowering her hand from her eye to rest on the clothes in her possession. Feeling the fabric in her hands, the teens' mind sparked back to life, realizing she had forgotten what it was she came into the room for.

"Oh yeah. I came here to give you these." Samantha said, doing her best to organize the clothes in her hands and show them to Superboy.

Nodding at Samanthas' answer about her eye, Superboy looked to the clothes she handed to him, grabbing them and inspecting them. A red pajamas shirt and plaid matching pants, along with a pair of newly bought boxers. "Thanks. What are these for?"

"They're for you to sleep in, duh." Samantha said. "Reginald, the man who showed you to your room, he though it'd be better you slept in clothes that weren't ripped up, so he sent you an old pair of fathers pajamas he doesn't use. Or he tried. You didn't answer when he knocked."

Looking at the clothes further and staring at the pajama shirt in his hands, Superboy moved his gaze back to look at Samantha. "So you want me to wear these?"

Unsure how to exactly answer Superboys' question, Samantha smiled. "Well, you don't have to wear them if you don't want to. They don't suck up solar rays like the suit you're wearing, but they are more comfortable to wear. It's your choice."

"My choice?" Superboy repeated, looking at the clothes again. A few seconds of silence filling the room as Samantha watched Superboy try to come up with a decision, the brunette looked with curiosity when Superboy shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess I'll wear them." Superboy said. Trying to figure out which way he was supposed to put on the clothes, Superboy grabbed onto the tatters of his solar suit he wore and pulled hard on them, watching as they were ripped off his body to further show off the muscled form of the teen.

"Wow wow wow! Stop!" Samantha cried out, quickly covering her one good eye and backing away from Superboy as he began his messy undressing.

"What?" Superboy asked, looking over to Samantha as he finished ripping off the last of his solar suit and grabbing the boxers off the floor.

"Y-You can't just change in front of a girl!" Samantha retorted, doing her best to keep her vision covered and turning her back to Superboy. "J-Just tell me when you're done. I can't open my eye until you're dressed."

Raising an eyebrow at the strange behavior the smaller teen was exhibiting Superboy shrugged and finished putting on the rest of the delivered clothes. "I'm done. You can open your eye now."

 _'You better be or this is going to get more awkward.'_ Samantha thought, her face feeling hot at the idea of seeing anything else inappropriate.

Slowly moving her fingers away bit by bit to clear her vision, Samantha sighed in relief and removed her hand when she looked to see the form of Superboy, now fully dressed in the pajamas she had given him, along with the tatters of his old solar suit around his feet. Rubbing her cheeks to try and make the heat in them disappear, Samantha sighed. "You really don't know how to act around women do you?"

"Didn't you already ask me that back at Cadmus?" Superboy asked, remembering a similar question being asked the day prior.

Raising her finger up to try and point out something to Superboy, Samantha dropped her remark, her body tired from the scare and just wanting to rest. "N-Never mind. Just make sure not to undress like that again when a girl is in the room. It isn't polite." The brunette warned, making sure the cloned boy understood.

"Okay." Superboy simply replied, staring back at Samantha with a mild look of confusion and uncertainty.

Smiling back to Superboy, Samantha gave a playful nudge of her fist to his shoulder and made her way to the door. "Get some rest okay? I'll come by in a couple of hours after we get a good nights...days sleep for breakfast. It'll be your first real breakfast and I promise it'll be fantastic. Reginald makes the best pancakes you'll ever eat."

Grabbing onto the door handle, Samantha turned the door knob and was about to head out.

"Winter?"

Stopping the doorknob mid turn, Samantha turned her head back to look to Superboy, a look of confusion on her face. Why had he called to her now? "Yes Superboy?"

Staring down at the floor for a few moments, the black haired teen moved his head upwards to stare face to face with the brunette. Eyes filled with what she guessed was hesitation, Superboy spoke. "Do you think Superman knows I'm here?"

 _'That's what's on his mind?'_ Samantha thought, her face faltering at the question being asked of her. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't lie to him, but she didn't know herself if he knew. In her mind she wanted to hope Superman was keeping tabs on Superboy, at least acknowledging his existence. He couldn't just ignore him.

"Yeah." Samantha answered back, a small smile appearing on her face. "I'm sure he knows." Samantha replied, hoping her words would help to ease the unknown worries inside the super boys' head.

Hearing her answer and a matching small smile showing on his own face, Superboy nodded. "Just asking."

"No problem. Good night Superboy." Giving one final friendly nod to her new room mate, Samantha opened the bed room door and headed out into the hallway, slowly closing the door behind her, but stopped for one last moment to peek her head back inside the room. "Oh and by the way, you can call me Samantha. Just don't tell anybody. Secret identity and all."

Laying down on his new makeshift sleeping arrangement, Superboy turned his head over to look back at Samantha who was at the doorway. "Got it. Good night...Samantha."

"Night." Smiling and closing the door to Superboys' room behind her, the brunette slowly made her way back to her own room, the silence of the hallway helping to relax the teens rapid thought process from overloading her. Opening the door to her room and softly closing it behind her, the young female heroine walked over to her bed and let out a groan, collapsing atop the covers and sheets of her bed.

Grabbing onto a large pillow on her bed and hugging it tight to her chest, the brunette cried a muffled scream into her pillow, doing her best to extinguish the bounds of energy now in her system from her encounter with Superboy.

"How am I going to get to sleep after that?" The ice user complained, burying her face further into the pillow she hugged close to herself.

Everything had gone by in a flash. The initiation, the revelation of the Justice League, Speedy leaving, the group heading to Cadmus, finding their hidden secrets, freeing Superboy, talking with him, escaping together, beating up Blockbuster, standing up against their mentors, explaining everything to her father, and now just recently having a _very_ awkward encounter with Superboy.

Despite the hardship, the betrayal, the suffering, the physical pain, the emotional stress, and the rigorous effort the young ice user had put in and the events she went through, only one thing was going through her mind at 2:30 a.m..

Her heart seemed to race a lot when Superboy was around. And she still wasn't exactly sure why.


	6. A Lesson to be Learned

Hello again! Hope everyone is enjoying the new year and getting things done. Here we are in another chapter. Sorry, this took so long to get out, and especially since it doesn't exactly start up the whole "team" thing yet. I wanted to get to that and make this chapter shorter, but the way I was writing it I felt it needed to go a little more. Not to mention that Winter session pretty much took all my time to write and replaced it with school. I was even close to updating an exact month from the last chapter, but no time. TAT

But I got it out now! I promise that the next chapter will have the Team meet up and interact in Happy Harbor. I've been itching to get to the plot. XD

So last we left off the sidekicks had finally gotten out of Cadmus and went up against their own mentors to prove themselves. Thanks to their bravery and determination Batman has decided to give the group three days to think about the idea and now they've got to wait. Superboy, with nowhere to go or stay, has been taken into the home of Winter for the time being. Though there have been some awkward moments and Superboy is still having trouble adjusting to his new life, perhaps a day out in the world like a normal person will help to teach him how society and things work.

Or at least that's the plan.

Please if you can, review the story and leave a comment. It's always good for writers to hear how they are doing and knowing whether or not people are liking or enjoying their work. Not to mention it is a good motivator when they see a happy comment or two. ;3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Young Justice. That right belongs to DC Comics.

* * *

 _ **-Freya Mansion**_

 _ **Star City, July 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2010 8:00 A.M. PDT-**_

A white ceiling. It was all Superboy had been staring at since he woke up that morning. He wasn't used to waking up and looking at anything other than metal and machinery like his pod at Cadmus, so when it came time for him to open his eyes to the brand new day of officially being free from his glass prison, the dark haired boy didn't quite know what to do.

He could at least say that his sleep was not as uncomfortable as he had thought. Originally sleeping in the closet in the room, Superboy had changed to taking his rest on the bed provided in the room by the suggestion of Winter...or rather Samantha as she wanted to be called. And she hadn't been wrong. While Superboy had missed the comfort and normalcy of sleeping upright on his feet like his pod had given him all his life, the soft bed sheets and mattress beneath his back didn't make his sleep an entirely bad experience. With enough time he thought he could get used to the feeling.

However, he would have liked some instruction on what he was supposed to do after getting up from bed.

 _'Do I just lay here? Wait for someone to get me?'_ Superboy thought, his blue eyes blinking at the same patch of ceiling he'd stared at that morning. _'Samantha said she would come and wake me up. So what if I'm already awake? What do I do?'_

Unsure of what exactly to do with his early morning, Superboy sat up on his bed and scratched the back of his head complacently. He could always leave the room on his own. He was his own person now, though he still had a bit of trouble figuring out what it was he could and could not do. Samantha had been clear that there were things he needed to learn to fit into society and Cadmus had seemed to lack giving him any lessons about manners or social interactions.

Moving off the bed and landing on the floor feet first, Superboy stretched his body and cracked his neck, doing his best to stretch out his muscles. He was still a little sore from the battle against Blockbuster, but any wounds he had received from the battle had nearly disappeared already from what he could tell. Looking around the room again to get a better sense of where he was, Superboy made his way to the room doors and opened them. Walking outside into the hallway, the blue eyed super teen closed his room door behind him, the shutting of the door echoing throughout the hallway.

Eyebrow raised at the sign of no life in the empty hallway, Superboy headed down the hallway to the direction of Samantha's room, remembering back to when she had pointed it out to him the night before.

After a short walk, and almost getting somewhat lost on the way, Superboy could see the door of Samantha's room in the distance. Making his towards it, the dark haired teen noticed a significant amount of cold chills beginning to run down his spine. Had the temperature dropped in the last few steps he took?

Finally finding his way to Samanthas' room doors Superboy noticed the doors of the room were open, a sliver of her room just peeking out from the crack between the doors. Curiosity taking hold of his thoughts, Superboy reached and grabbed the door handle, his hand twitching at the icy cold feeling, but kept his hand wrapped around the metal. Slowly opening it and keeping quiet, the muscled teen peeked his head inside to find the brunette, and find the cause of the cold.

A small gust of icy cold wind was the first thing Superboy took notice of. Snowflakes floating in the air and dropping onto his face, the dark haired teen slowly took a quiet step inside, being sure not to make any noise as he entered.

At the drop of a dime the decorated bedroom he walked into suddenly dropped to what felt like near freezing temperature. Quietly making his way in unannounced and closing the door behind him, Superboy watched the gasps of air he took freeze and come out as tiny clouds of foggy breath in the room, signifying the room truly was as cold as he thought. It made sense with the hallway feeling colder than before and the sting of the doorknob earlier.

His eyes scanning the items in the room, the blue orbs finally spotted the person he was looking for, though it did not look like she had noticed him open the door.

Sitting crossed legged on the white tile floor and still dressed in her matching white nightgown was the form of Samantha Freya giving no sign of being fazed by the ice or chill of the room. Her hair the familiar snow white color he'd seen back at Cadmus, Superboy scanned the area where she sat and noticed a small group of weapons lined up on the floor next to her. From small weapons like needles and daggers to larger projectiles like arrows and shuriken, each one looked exactly like it was supposed to be at first glance, but at the same time, they didn't. Their color had not looked like anything he remembered from the Genomorphs lessons.

 _'Are those all made of ice?'_ Superboy thought, his eyes looking at each weapon with interest. He remembered for a moment back when they had been at Cadmus. Nearly falling to their deaths in the elevator shaft, the ice user had stopped their descent by making a sword made of ice and using it to slow their fall and save them. He'd been too busy thinking about his lack of flight to notice it before, but seeing the weapons on the floor next to Samantha made his memory flood back with interest and curiosity.

Superboy's intuition was only confirmed further when he noticed Samantha begin to use her powers.

Her eyes engrossed in a weathered book on the floor in front of her, she took an icy breath before outstretching her arm to her right-hand side and continued to even her breathing. Her fingers clutching nothing but air, a soft glow began to appear in the space of her palm. It was small, no bigger than a grain of rice just floating in her hand and glowing a light blue light.

Suddenly a slow gust of wind began to form in the room, slowly swirling around the tiny ball of energy floating in the palm of Samanthas' hand. Specks of ice floating in the air followed the pull of the gusting wind, swirling around the small ball of energy in the ice users hand before merging together slowly. The glow built up with each speck of ice, the energy taking shape bit by bit into what the ice user was trying to imagine and caused the dark room to light up with the same blue color as the fist-sized orb of energy.

With one final grunt of concentration from the ice user, the light finally stopped its growth and form, as if time itself dictated it stop. A sudden burst of light exploding, snow burst off the light in a flurry of snowflakes and fell to the tile floor. Her eyes still gazing at her hand, the orb was no longer there, but rather a newly forged weapon sat there. It was a rapier sword but held a familiar appearance like other weapons sitting next to Samantha. The blade itself was four feet long, thin in structure but looked sharp enough that it could easily stab through flesh like any real sword. Like the previous weapons, it was blue in color and made of pure ice, noticeable by the chilling fog coming off the blade.

The hilt of the sword curved neatly around Samanthas' hand, made exactly to guard herself if she were to use it in battle and matching the exact picture in the book she was focused on previously. Running a finger along the cold blade of the hilt, the dawning sunlight from the window peeked in and shone through the sturdy ice, showing off the sharpness of the creation yet giving it a mysterious beauty that made the mind go blank.

"No. This isn't right either." Samantha said to herself, aggravation and a hint of uncertainty in her voice as she traced out the edge of the blade and held the sword up high to inspect it from a different angle. Getting up from her seat on the floor and moving her hand up and down to feel the weight of the weapon in her hand, Samantha swung the weapon in the air a few times to try and get a feel for it. "This can't be the best I can do."

"I think it looks fine," Superboy replied from his spot in the doorway, making his presence known as he watched Samantha work.

"Wha!?" Her heart nearly exploding at the sudden intrusion of Superboy, the ice user dropped the sword and let it clatter to the floor.

Thankfully it had been stronger than it looked given it didn't shatter into ice cubes.

Turning to see who it was that had interrupted to her practice, Samantha froze in place as her lone icy blue eye stared back at the dark blue of Superboy. "S-Superboy? D-Don't sneak up on me like that. You scared me."

"I didn't mean to. I got up before you came to wake me up, so I decided to come by and saw you doing whatever it is your doing." Superboy explained, rubbing the back of his neck and pointed to the crafted ice weapons on the floor.

Following his direction to the weapons she had created, Samantha shrugged her shoulders. "This isn't anything special. I'm just practicing my ice crafting."

"Ice crafting?" Superboy asked, not understanding the term.

"It's something I sort of made up. Just freezing stuff and throwing ice at villains can only get me so far in a battle, so I thought trying out weapons would help me better my skills and widen the amount of damage I could do in a fight. So I develop weapons out of my own ice." Samantha explained, her gaze looking to the rapier that was on the floor and bent down to pick it up. "It's helped me so far as a hero, but not all of them turn out the way I want them."

"Like that one? It looks okay. What's wrong with it?" Superboy asked, his eyes turning down to look at the ice weapon.

"Yeah to the naked eye, but I can tell it's not up to par. This type of weapon is thin and made for precise stabbing moves, but I wanted to enhance it with more ice so I could use it to cut through weak metals, like armor or suits. This won't get through a brick wall, let alone one made of metal. Its makeup just isn't strong enough and the weight is too light. It would shatter with a punch from somebody strong enough." Samantha voiced, a frown growing on her face at each inconsistency she listed.

"Oh," Superboy replied, his gaze on the white haired girl. He didn't know what else to say to the explanation she had given. What else could he say? It seemed like she knew more about her ice crafting than he did after all. Taking notice of the strands of pure white hair resting on her shoulder, Superboy felt the urge to ask. "Your hair is white again."

Once again subject to a blunt statement by the super teen, Samantha chuckled a bit and placed the rapier on the ground with the other weapons. "Uh yeah. It's a side effect of my powers. Changes my hair color and eyes to weird colors, but it is a good way to keep my identity a secret. It'll change back in a little while, though.

"Why? Does it bother you my traits keep switching back and forth?" Samantha asked, combing a hand through her white locks in a calming fashion.

"Not really, but I prefer your white hair more. It looks better."

He'd never had much of an opinion about anything since he'd gotten out of Cadmus, much less about a person's appearance. The changing of traits wasn't a bother like Samantha had joked to Superboy at all, but for some reason, he had a bit more of an interest in her appearance as a hero Maybe it was because he had seen her that way first that he felt more comfortable with her looking that way.

Feeling her face heat up at the comment, Samantha couldn't help but clutch at the white strands in her hand, trying to keep the beating in her chest in check. She'd been complimented before by various people, whether it be from her fathers' parties or by tutors for her practice in academics or training from Ice Maiden. However, it was rare any of them got to her. She always knew when someone was giving a compliment to get on her good side, whether it be to try and get on her fathers' good side or try and hit on her. She knew how to shoo them away with not much effort or ignore them.

This one in no way gave her that vibe she'd been accustomed to. One that told her it had no truth to it. And that was what was making her heart jump. Superboys' comment, as simple and bluntly as he had said it, was truthful. And he wasn't even trying to compliment her. He was just being his blunt honest self.

For a guy who did not know how to talk to people, he sure knew how to mess with a girls heart.

A flush of pink on her cheeks and a small smile on her face, all the white haired teen could speak out was a quiet, "Um...thank you."

* * *

Breakfast was a Godsend in Samanthas' opinion. After the long day she had yesterday trying to be a real superhero and the extremely early morning she had after, she was just glad to have a moment of peace and calm. Her morning had already been a busy one with activities and check ups done hours before. Her eye had been healed by her father, the miracle thanks to his wide knowledge of the human anatomy and his genetics work to create a fast healing medicine for her. It was a risk to try it, but the result had healed any serious damage that could have been done to her left eye, with only a scar down her eye socket to remind her of the close call. Along with a check up on her body and the usual shot of medicine her father gave her monthly to empower her immune system, it was a normal "doctor's" appointment.

Practice had also been taken care of, her ice craft getting better bit by bit after she went another round, Superboy sitting in to watch and have some company. The struggles to better her creations were still evident, case in point by the newly made rapier she had tried out for the first time that morning. She wasn't trying to be perfect, but it still irritated the ice user that she hadn't gotten it on her first try. However, she knew that there was a chance to improve, and thankfully she had some time until Batman responded to the team. Perhaps by then, she'd have the rapier ice weapon down and ready for whatever the dark knight threw at them. Both her and Superboy.

 _'Speaking of Superboy.'_

Sitting at the table across from the dark haired teen, the ice user took a sip of her tea and let her eyes slowly move in the direction of her company, watching him scarf down the freshly made pancakes Reginald had made. Samantha so far thought things were going well, at least from her perspective of helping him adjust to society. From what she could tell and what they talked a little about during her morning training Cadmus had taught Superboy the most basic of things from language, mathematics, history throughout the world, science, and just about everything he would need to know in terms of common knowledge.

But with all the knowledge he had, not having any experience of using it in the real world was the largest of problems.

 _'Such as manners and knowing when to knock.'_ She thought, taking a bite of her pancakes and licking a bit of whipped cream off her lips. The awkward situation the night before was still stuck in her mind that morning, and even more so when she had tried to sleep. Her memories flashed back and forth to everything that had happened like the receding waves of the ocean, from the sculpted muscled form of Superboy after undressing to their good night exchange. At moments she thought her mind had finally been over everything, but just a thought about it had made it rush back to her with full force.

She'd never been with a boy alone her age, at least not without being surrounded by adults at one of her father's parties and having to let everything they say about themselves fly out the other ear. Superboy, on the other hand, wasn't any of those boring guys she was made to listen to or talk to. He didn't do anything she didn't like, or at least not on purpose, was blunt but honest, and was interesting to talk to and be around.

 _'Is that why I can't stop thinking about last night? Or why my heart feels like its going to implode five times over?'_ Samantha asked herself, uncertainty sweeping within her thoughts.

"Hey Samantha, you okay?" Superboy asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Her thoughts halting at the sound of Superboys' voice, Samantha stared back to her guest with an eyebrow raised. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Your face is red. And you keep staring at me." Superboy answered, using his fork to iterate his observation by pointing to the girls' face.

Oh, God. Had she been staring at Superboy this entire time without noticing it?! And her face was red too?! Panic encasing her being, the white-haired heroine focused on calming her nerves and not jump out of her seat from mortification. She had to come up with something to try and make it sound like it was all a coincidence.

"I-I'm fine Superboy. My cheeks are probably flushed from the tea. It's hot and I may have drunk too much." Samantha responded, delving into her early morning wit to hide her mistake. "And the staring? I...was just wondering if you were enjoying your food. Obviously, it is still a bit new for you to adjust to all of this since you've never had a real meal before. I'd like your first experience of having a breakfast to be pleasant."

Her explanation given and pleasant poker face on to mask her real reasons behind her actions, Superboy nodded to signal he understood. Taking another bite of his pancakes, Superboy swallowed and answered. "Well don't worry. The food's good."

Resisting the urge to pump a fist beneath the table in triumph, Samantha simply smiled back to Superboy. _'Nailed it.'_

Thankful the crisis had been averted and she wasn't caught in her lie, Samantha finished the rest of her breakfast and opted to shift her gaze to the city outside the window, letting her thoughts wander to the free time that filled their schedule. She and Superboy needed to kill time until Batman called them, but she couldn't just keep him cooped up in the mansion all day. It was already hard enough avoiding more awkward situations in the house alone and the heroine didn't know how much more she could take just sitting around and practicing her powers all day. Whether or not she had gotten out of a crazy near death mission just a day ago, that didn't mean she wanted to be resting on her butt all day.

 _'The whole point of helping Superboy get out of Cadmus was so he could make decisions on his own. Have a life. He can't learn how to do that stuck here of all places, and I'm not having any fun waiting either. There has to be something we could do. An activity? Or a place we could visit? At least so Superboy can learn more about living a normal life outside of being a superhero.'_ Samantha thought, her mind trying to come up with activities to kill time.

Her eyes looking back to the boy across from the table, she scanned him over in an attempt to find something that would spark an idea. He seemed bored most of the time. Just sitting around the house in his pajamas. . . .

Now that she had thought about it, Superboy would need a wardrobe for his new life he'd be having, and if there were any place kids their age liked to go for both shopping and socializing it would be the mall. It was the perfect place. Superboy could get some clothes, she could teach him how to act around normal civilians, she'd get out of the house, and they'd kill some time. It was a win-win-win situation.

Smiling to herself at the plan Samantha looked back to Superboy to get his attention, taking her tea cup and drinking a bit of the warm liquid before talking in a playful tone. "Say Superboy? Did Cadmus ever teach you what a mall is?"

* * *

 _ **-Star City Mall**_

 _ **Star City, July 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **11:00 A.M. PDT-**_

"Ah. It's so good to be out of that house." Samantha spoke, a happy smile on her face as she stretched her arms out and let the rays of sunlight warm her face. Dressed for the weather and keeping with the fashion of the summer heat just coming out to play, Samantha wore a casual white sundress and brown strap sandals. A simple silver chained necklace sporting a snowflake around her neck, small purse on her shoulder, and her brunette hair tied in a simple braid resting on her shoulder and a matching white bow clipped in her hair, the disguised heroine was ready for the "expedition" that was about to take place.

"The clothes aren't too uncomfortable for you are they Superboy?" Samantha whispered next to the taller boy, standing beside him as she watched him fidget with the collar of the shirt she and Reginald helped to pick out for the super clone.

Before the two had time to even plan to go out, her family servant had suggested it be best to find Superboy something more...realistic to wear outside to the mall than just pajamas. Unfortunately with nobody but herself, Reginald, and her father living in the large home they had to make due with what they had. As a result, Superboy now stood beside the petite brunette wearing a slightly large button up white collar dress shirt, a black jacket worn over it along with larger than what he needed slacks, and worn dress shoes.

"These clothes are stuffy. You dad didn't have anything else?" Superboy answered back, the black haired teen fidgeting with a button tightening his collar.

"Sorry, but this is all we had. They may be a little big, but you won't have to wear them long. Once we're inside and find you some clothes you can change right into them." Samantha reassured her companion, smiling as she continued to watch Superboys' attempts at fixing the collar. "I'll get the button for you. Hold still."

Moving in a little closer to Superboy and reaching up to the collar of the used shirt, the smaller digits of the heiress grasped onto the soft fabric of the shirt and began their work to help loosen the article of clothing. Getting absorbed in the task, the ice user couldn't help but let her eyes wander at the form of Superboy.

The clothes didn't exactly fit the person underneath both physically and in terms of style, but Samantha noticed the subtle ways Superboys' form helped to fill out the old suit. From his tall physique, broad shoulders, and the muscles that were underneath, he really did make it look good despite the obvious size difference. To be honest the young Freya never liked her fathers' suits. They were always dreary in color, made only for business, and she'd seen them so many times when in the house or out at functions. However Superboy made it look new and fresh, and this time didn't feel like her eyes were strained by looking at it. What was that saying? It's the man that makes the suit?

 _'Now if you were wearing a suit in your own size, I'm sure you'd be beating girls off with a stick.'_ Samantha joked in her head, smiling a bit as she unhooked the necessary buttons on Superboys' collar and stepped back to check out Superboy.

"Is that any better?" Samantha asked looking up to her companion for any sign of a mistake on her part.

Moving his neck around to get a feel for the newfound maneuverability from the buttons being opened, Superboy shook his head and sighed. "Yeah, it is. I can't wait to get out of this thing."

Unable to hold in the laugh at Superboys' comment, the brunette smiled. "Don't worry. You'll be out of that thing in no time. Just stick by me and I'll show you around the mall. I promise it'll be the best experience you've ever had." She spoke with confidence.

Walking alongside Samantha through the front doors of the mall, Superboys' eyes scanned the large structure within and stopped to spot every inch of the building he stepped into. At every hall and corner, there was some sort of entrance to a store or establishment, each one different than the last. Clothing, books, perfume, electronics. People of varying ages walked in and out of any of those stores and more, their hands filled with bags or holding a trinket of some kind that the clone had never seen.

And noises. There was so much noise and different smells he was taking in. His sense seemed like they were on overload with the amount he was being assaulted with. The straying conversations of people just passing by him, from far off in the escalators or second floor, and even the smells of the food court on the other side of the building. He was catching it all in the small space.

Unsure of how to go about being in the new territory, Superboy turned to the younger heiress. "Is it always this loud? And smell like oil?"

"Loud is something that kind of happens in malls. The voices keep reverberating around the walls so it does kind of echo in here sometimes." Samantha replied, a bit confused to Superboys' inquiries. She guessed it was because he'd never actually been inside a mall before, but to ask about noise and smell? She thought the questions would be about the stores or why so many people come to a mall in the first place. "But the smell? To be honest I don't smell anything like that. Maybe your sense-"

Wait! Stronger senses! That's what Samantha was forgetting. That's why he was asking about the smell and noises.

Feeling like such an idiot for forgetting something so obvious, the brunette face palmed and shook her head. "Oh yeah. Sorry, you do smell something. It's probably the oil that the cooks are using at the food court here, but don't worry about it. The smell of oil may not be so great at first, but the food is fantastic, nearly as great as pancakes. I'll take you to try some after we get you some clothes." She joked, nudging the taller boys' shoulder in a playful gesture.

"But before that is clothes. And the first thing we're getting is...shoes? Aww." Samantha muttered with a frown, her eyes shifting to the closest store in their vicinity. "I guess we're starting with the most boring part of clothes shopping."

Eyebrow raised at the comment, Superboy looked over to the store Winter was looking at, the display sign calling it _ **"Shoes Galore"**_. He wasn't sure what the shorter teen was commenting on. From what Superboy could see from the outside t looked like a normal boring storefront advertising just what they sold. Even his x-ray vision had revealed nothing but racks of colorful shoes and different designs inside. What was he not understanding? "What's so bad about shopping for shoes?"

Hearing the innocent question from Superboy, Samantha shook her head and frowned. The poor boy didn't know what it was he was about to get into.

"Trust me. You'll understand once we start."

* * *

When Superboy had heard Samantha say he would understand once they got inside, he didn't quite believe or get what she had meant. But after sitting in the same chair for about an hour and being asked what sounded like the same questions over and over about shoes, Superboy started to understand what she was talking about.

What was his shoe size? Did he like a specific design? What type of shoes was he looking for? What would they be used for?

 _'It's not like we can say I need the shoes to fight criminals.'_ Superboy thought, his eyes gazing to the boots he was wearing on his feet. He had tried on about four different pairs of shoes so far, each one not being what he wanted. They didn't feel right to him and he could feel they wouldn't hold with the strength he'd use in a fight. However the boots he was wearing felt different.

Sitting in the chair next to him and watching her friend inspect the shoes he wore, Samantha rested her chin in her hand and looked at the brown boots. "So how about these? You think you can fight in them?"

"Can we test them?" Superboy asked, looking while asking.

"Uhh...I don't think we can. But from what I can tell they will, and they look the best on you than everything I've seen. If you want we can come back to this later? Go and find clothes first? This seems to be taking way too long and I think we're both getting bored." Samantha suggested with a tired look on her face.

Hearing the suggestion and staring down at the brown boots he wore on his feet, Superboy gave no indication of what he wanted to do at first. Although when he stood up from his seat and grabbed the borrowed par of shoes form Samanthas' father, Superboy motioned for Samantha to get up.

"I'll get these. I like em." Superboy finally answered, moving his feet around to get a better feel of the boots.

Out of her seat and taking the old pair of shoes from Superboy, Samantha nodded and walked with him to the cash register. "That's great. It may have taken a bit longer than we wanted, but I'm glad we found something you like." Walking up to the cash register and speaking with the attendant for a moment, Samantha pulled out a credit card and handed it over to pay for the shoes. "Now all we need is to get you some clothes. It'll be a much more fun experience. At least better than shopping for shoes."

"As long as it doesn't take forever," Superboy replied, watching Samantha go through the transaction process and sign her name on a receipt and head out of the store with her.

"Is it really okay that your dad is paying for all of this?" Superboy asked, his memories focused on the credit card his companion flashed and paid with. While Superboy had no money to his name, he was still unsure of simply letting Samantha and her family just take care of his problems.

Noticing the skepticism in his voice, Samantha nodded to Superboy. "There's no need to worry. I talked with my dad before he left. He said he'd pay for everything just as long as it was only things you needed and I was using the funds properly. I won't waste money on things I don't need, so we can get everything you need without a problem."

Although not much emotion showed on his face, his eyes widened a fraction at the response Samantha gave him. Giving a small smile and nodding, Superboy picked up his pace to follow the brunette. His life was already changed forever after the incident with Cadmus, and with no real contact from Superman, since he'd arrived, he was glad to know there was somebody there to help him, if only for a bit.

The next stop, a clothing store a couple feet away, the two walked side by side inside and headed straight towards the make section of the store. Thankful that jeans were just in their vicinity, Samantha was able to pick up a pair that was Superboys' size and decided to head to their next destination for clothing to get an outfit put together. Racks littered with clothing from shirts, tank tops, and other varieties of male clothing found after a bit of searching, Samantha placed a finger on her chin and stared at the options in front of them.

"Hm? Where do we get started? I'm used to being able to shop for myself, but this is new territory for me. Is there anything that catches your eye Superboy?" Samantha spoke quietly, being sure she did not talk loud enough for any bystander to hear.

She waited, a bit unsure if Superboy was still looking around to find something. It was only after five minutes that she turned to her right to look at the silent boy, her eyes widening in shock when she saw no sign of the taller boy.

"S-Superboy?" Samantha whispered, hoping her whisper would carry tot he ears of the boy. Unfortunately, there was no signal or sign of him, making the brunette frown in worry. When had he run off on his own?

 _'Where did he go?'_ Samantha though, turning around and walking at a fast pace to search through the clothing department. She hadn't known where to start first, but it was better than standing around and hoping he'd pop back up next to her. She would call him, but yelling out his codename would be a bad idea.

 _'We really need to get him a normal name to call him by.'_ Samantha thought, turning around a corner of a clothing display and walking into another portion of clothes for men.

Moving to a rack of clothes, Samantha felt her shoulder slump with relief when she spotted the familiar figure of Superboy at a display of shirts. Rushing over to his side, Samantha sighed in relief before poking his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey. Where did you go? You just disappeared on me without a word. I couldn't find or call out to you."

The silence was the only answer she was given. His eyes preoccupied with something he had with him, Superboy gave no indication that he had heard or listened to what Samantha had said. Still standing in the same place, Superboy kept his eyes on something in his hands.

"Superboy?" Samantha called, hoping for some reaction, but got nothing. Frowning at being forgotten for some unknown reason, Samantha walked over next to Superboy and opened her mouth ready to complain about being ignored by the taller boy. That was until she looked down to see what had all of his attention.

It...was a shirt.

At least that was what Samantha would describe it as at first glance. However, at closer inspection, she saw what it was that made it so alluring to the dark-haired teen. A simple t-shirt with no major designs or flashy appearances, the shirt was pure black and looked to be a bit too small for the teen, however, she did not think he noticed that too much. At the center of it and largely printed in red was a symbol that both teens were all too familiar with.

Dead center was the familiar symbol of Superman, his signature "S" and diamond shaped motif plastered on the shirt and keeping the gaze of Superboy all to itself.

She'd seen those types of shirts many times. Since the rise of super heroes, clothing stores had decided it'd be fun to sell shirts with the symbols of famous heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the likes of the Justice League.

Realizing the significance of the shirt and understanding just a little at why Superboy hadn't answered, Samantha looked at the shirt until she moved her gaze back up to the face of her friend. There was no telling what was going on in his mind in that moment, but she was definitely sure they all had to do with his father.

Or was that the right thing to call him after the way he treated Superboy earlier? Or rather the lack of treatment? The ice user hated herself for thinking about this still, but her conscious just wouldn't let it go. Superman had ignored Superboy, even after all the trouble it had been to help him escape Cadmus. He wasn't even trying to do anything evil once getting out. He just wanted to see Superman. Talk to him. And he ignored him and flew off. He hadn't even tried to contact him since.

"Superboy," Samantha began, hoping her words were getting through to him. "Are you okay?"

No verbal answer was given to show if Superboy had heard her, but the subtle narrowing of his eyes and frown told Samantha that he had heard her. Still, he said nothing, only continuing to look at the blood red symbol on the clothing he held in his hands.

No answer spoken, Samantha frowned and stared at the symbol that preoccupied the boys' mind. _'What could he be thinking about? Where Superman is? Why he hasn't contacted him? Why he ignored him the night back at Cadmus?'_

Samantha remembered the night before when they talked to each other. Superboy had asked her about Superman. If he knew where he was. She couldn't give him a truthful answer, but she answered that he had to know.

It had to be hard. Feeling lost and wondering if your own father wondered about you. Superboy had to be going through some sort of internal crisis.

Letting the silence take over their space for a few moments to let Superboy have his time with his thoughts a few moments longer, Samantha stared at the shirt in her companion's hands and looked over to the display holding the various hero symbol shirts. Going towards the display and looking through them, her gaze finally spotted the space where the Superman shirts were and looked through them until finding a good amount of them in the size Superboy actually needed.

Taking one off the shelf and moving back to stand in front of Superboy, Samantha moved her hand out and grabbed onto the smaller sized shirt in Superboys' hands, pulling it out of his hands.

Suddenly feeling the cloth shirt leave his hands, Superboys' eyes widened as he looked up as if he had woken up from a dream. Remembering where he was and seeing his hands now clutching empty air, Superboy stared back at Samantha, who seemed to have suddenly appeared from nowhere. "W-What'd you say?"

Smiling at his realization that he had ignored her, Samantha shook her head and put the smaller shirt back on the shelf. "Nothing important. Now we're here to shop for you remember? If you're going to pick out a shirt for yourself, you might want to make sure it's your size." Samantha joked softly.

"Here. I think this one will fit you much better." Samantha said, pulling out the larger shirt she had grabbed for Superboy and resting the cloth in his hands.

Grabbing onto the familiar feeling cloth, Superboy stared down at the larger shirt he had been looking at previously, his gaze back on the symbol of his father. He says nothing at first, his mind focused back on the symbol. Soon enough after a few more seconds passed, Superboy moved his gaze from the shirt and looked at Samantha, an unsure look on his face. "Yeah. Thanks a lot."

Trying to lighten the mood and cheer Superboy up, Samantha poked the cheek of the dark-haired teen in a playful fashion. "Thank me by trying the whole outfit on. Jeans, shirt, and shoes. I want to see how it looks. Though I already know it'll look great on you."

Grabbing the pieces of necessary clothing, Superboy looked at the articles in palms of his hands and nodded in agreement and a small smile formed on his face. "Good idea."

* * *

Waiting outside of the dressing room for her companion to finish dressing and show off the outfit the two had agreed on, the young female folded her hands in her lap and waited out the time she had until Superboy was ready.

She'd never been so worried about seeing someone put on an outfit. Given she'd never actually shopped with anyone else since she didn't really have any friends, but with the implications of what Superboy was wearing and the mini emotional moment the two shared at the t-shirt rack, she just wanted everything to go well.

She'd promised he'd have the best time today and she wouldn't let that promise be ruined by family drama caused by Superman. No matter how respected or intimidating he was.

 _'I'm thinking too negatively. I need to try and lighten the mood somehow.'_ Her eyes scanning over the various clothes around her line of vision, Samantha decided to go through her memories of the day and think of something light to talk about. Anything to make this day better.

"Hey, Superboy?" Samantha whispered as best she could from the doorway, turning her head over to the door of Superboys' room to let him hear her somewhat better.

"Yeah?" Superboy answered back, the rustling of clothes being heard from behind the door.

Glad he had heard her this time, she continued. "I just remembered, but since you're going to be living a normal life like everyone else, you're going to need a name."

"I already have a name. It's Superboy." The voice of the muscled boy replied back, making Samantha chuckle.

"Well...yeah it kind of is. But that's more of your hero name. I mean like a normal name for a person you'd meet on the street. Like Mary, Tom, or my name. Samantha. Something to call you when we aren't being heroes. It was hard trying to find you since I couldn't call out your hero name and cause attention on the both of us. If you use a normal name we won't have trouble locating each other or talking without having to whisper all the time."

Listening to the argument the brunette was giving, Superboy grabbed the jeans he was given and began to pull them onto each leg. "It would be better I guess. Can I at least choose the name?"

Smiling to herself as Superboys' question, Samantha nodded, though Superboy couldn't see it. "Of course. I'll list a few of the top of my head. We'll come up with something. How about...Marcus?"

"No," Superboy answered, his voice going right through the door of his dressing room.

"Okay. Hm...Leon?" Samantha suggested.

"No," Superboy answered back.

"Steven?"

"No."

"Johnathan?"

"I...guess. Hold that one for later." Superboy answered, taking the t-shirt off the hanger and putting it on.

"Okay then. I'll think of another one. Oh! What about Bobby? It can be shortened to Bob." Samantha suggested with a laugh.

"No way. Anything but that." Superboy answered, a small chuckle escaping from his lips while beginning to put his shoes back on his feet. The day hadn't been going as well as he had hoped, or rather the trip was, but after the efforts, Samantha was going to try and lighten the mood, Superboy could say for sure he was having a much better time.

Shaking her head at Superboys' answer, the young heiress wracked her mind around for a better name to suggest. Throwing out boring sounding names at the top of her list, the ice user smiled and snapped her fingers in a playful gesture. "Ooh, I got it! How about Con-"

"SOMEBODY CALL THE COPS!"

Jumping up straight out of her seat at the cry for help of in the distance, the ice users' sense flared up at high alert and shifted her gaze out to the mall outside of the shop. She couldn't see much in terms of who was screaming or who the culprit or culprits were, but there were bits of debris on the tiled floor of the mall and people were running away towards the exit of the mall.

 _'Looks like that fun time I hoped to give Superboy is going to have to wait.'_ Samantha thought. Taking off to one of the empty dressing rooms, Samantha concentrated on her powers and felt a rush of energy begin to flow within her. Sparkles of ice beginning to appear out of thin air, Samantha clutched her fists tightly before slamming them together, ice forming from her finger tips and crawling out towards her knuckles to her wrists. The formation of the ice encasing her hands and glowing with light, she thrust her fists out to punch the air in front of her, the glow exploding in shards of ice from each fist as the glow revealed two gauntlet-like weapons on each hand.

Flexing her fingers a bit to get a feel for the weapon and untying her now white-haired braid to put it back up in its familiar off-center ponytail, Samantha ran out of the dressing room after going into her hero persona and knocked on Superboys' dressing room.

"Superboy, we've got trouble. You changed yet?" Winter called out hastily, hoping her friend was dressed and ready to go.

The door suddenly flying open, Winter jumped out of the way of the swinging door and moved over to take a look at her newly dressed partner in heroics.

Dressed in the new black t-shirt Samantha had given him, the shirt fit his body perfectly to show off Superboys' broad shoulders and muscles beneath and the biceps of his arms. Fatigue jeans fitting perfectly on him and sporting a belt around his waist to keep them from being pulled or caught on anything, the last touch was some socks he was given and the dark-brown boots she had bought him earlier.

The shield of Superman proudly displayed on his chest and a determined look in his eyes, Superboy shifted his gaze back and forth before spotting Winter. "I'm done. Where's the trouble?"

For just a split second, Winter had been taken aback by Superboys' appearance. She wasn't sure why. It was obvious that it wasn't the time nor the place to be distracted by what Superboy was wearing or how he looked in his new outfit, but she couldn't help but stare, a warmth creeping up into her cheeks.

Everything about it...just seemed to fit perfectly on him. Was it wrong to want to drink it in?

"Winter, what's wrong?" Superboy called, trying to get the girls' attention.

Snapping to attention at hearing her hero title, Winter jumped a bit and shook her head to focus. "Y-Yeah. Outside of the store. Let's go!"

Running off from the dressing rooms and making their way towards the outer area of the mall and the danger that civilians were running away from, Winter remembered something and slowed down a bit, moving over to a display of scarves and bandanas and grabbed a white and black bandana from the hooks.

"Put this over your face. We can't let people know our identities." Winter called out, throwing the white bandana to Superboy as she caught up to him, tying the black bandana over her face as she did so.

Tying the bandana around the bottom part of his face, Superboy scanned over what little part of the mall he could see as he was getting closer and closer. The two teens hearing screams from various civilians running away, the loud crash of glass caught the ear drums of Superboy the loudest, along with a scream that was descending down closer and closer to the bottom level of the mall. "Somebody's falling! I'm not fast enough to get him!"

"I'll get him! See if you can spot the culprits!" Winter called back. Shooting a stream of ice onto the floor towards the outer part of the mall, the white-haired ice user hastily jumped on and skated as fast as she could out of the clothing store. Speeding around civilians running towards the exit, the ice user looked up to see the form of a mall cop falling from the third level.

"I've got you!" Concentrating her ice powers into the palms of her gauntleted hands, Winter shot a large stream of ice beneath the landing spot of the mall cop, watching the ice that formed explode into a flurry of snowflakes and appear as a sizable pile of snow. Falling at a fast rate the mall cop fell right into the pile of snow Winter had created, the soft cushioning of the snow saving the older man from death. "Are you hurt sir?"

Wriggling out of the pile of snow and catching his breath, the mall cop shook his head in realization that he hadn't died and looked up to the bandana wearing ice user. "N-no. Thank you. But we need to call the cops or somebody! Those two are out of control!"

"Those two?" Winter asked, not sure who the cop was talking about.

Racing over to Winters' side, Superboy moved his arm up to point upward to the second floor. Two figures in his line of sight, he pointed out the culprits. "I think I know who those two are. Up there."

Turning her gaze to stare at where Superboy was pointing, Winters' eyes moved upward to the second floor above them. Just passed the few bystanders that were running away and shifting her gaze at the shattered pieces of glass in the area, Winter spotted the culprits of the chaos.

A girl who looked about a year or two older than she and Superboy stood atop the second floor, staring down at them with a confident smirk at the work she had done. Her hair was platinum blonde and cut in a shortened spiky style, excessive amounts of makeup caked her face, and though she wasn't close up Winter could see the girl had more muscle than the average human. She had to be the one who had thrown the guard off the floor.

"You know that girl?" Superboy called to Winter, his eyes still on the punk girl above them.

"Not in the slightest, but why don't we change that and go say hello?" Winter suggested, her eyes glaring up at the unknown girl as she ran off. Placing her hand on the ground and focusing her ice on the ground below her, a small amount of rumbling began before an icicle sprouted quickly from beneath Winters' form. Using the momentum to push her up, Winter jumped off the surface of the icicle and grabbed onto the edge of the glass barrier on the second floor before flipping herself over it to land on the tiled floor of the second floor.

The first thing Winter noticed was the crunch beneath her feet. Looking down to see shards of glass underneath her sandals, Winter was careful not to move around too fast and carefully maneuvered herself around the shards until she was clear of the debris. Running over to a nearby corner, Winter crouched down and slowly poked her head out to check the direction in which the unknown girl had run to.

Off in the distance was the target, however off nearby was another figure she didn't recognize, and just like the unknown girl he was wearing a similar outfit. White shirt, red overalls, boots, blonde spiky hair. Was he her partner?

"Hey, Tommy! We've got company com'n!" The unknown punk girl yelled to her matching partner, her face easily showing a sign of uneasiness.

The boy, now known as Tommy, walked over to a civilian with a large grin on his face. Grabbing onto his collar and lifting him off the ground with a simple tug, Tommy slammed the main into a nearby pillar. "Well if company's com'n, we should set a table."

Knowing things were going to escalate soon, Winter gritted her teeth beneath her makeshift mask and looked at her gauntlet-like weapons. They were made to protect her from any hard surfaces when she used physical punches, but the strength the unknown villains were showing off would most likely shatter them with a punch or two.

 _'Taking them head on the way I am now will only lead to me getting thrown off the second floor.'_ The ice user thought, tracing over her gauntlets for an idea to help her out. She couldn't punch them head on the whole time. If she just had some sort of projectiles to distract them...that was it!

Jumping onto the second floor and seeing his team mate sitting behind a corner, Superboy ran over and crouched next to Winter, moving his eyes from the newfound hostage situation to Winter herself. "What are we waiting for?"

"Just give me a few seconds. I need to modify this." Winter hastily replied, a small bead of sweat running down her head as her right hand glowed in a soft blue light and began to run it over her left-handed gauntlet. Ice cracking bit by bit and slowly changing shape, Winter finished her work on one before doing the same to the other. The glow finally subsiding, the results showed as Winter lifted her gauntlets up to look at them, the newfound and strange looking revolve barrels on the inside of the gauntlets.

"What did you do to them?" Superboy asked, his eyes noticing the strange looking change to Winters' ice weapons.

"Just a little something to help me out, though it was a rush job. Don't know how long they'll last, so we need to end this quick." Winter replied, poking her head out to look at the two terrifying twins. "I'll take punk guy, you take punk girl. I'll freeze her feet to the ground so you can run in and take her down. You ready?"

"On three," Superboy answered back, his eyes narrowing in on his target. "One, two..."

"Three!" Winter finished, rushing herself up to her feet and running towards the two villains from behind. Throwing a ray of ice towards the feet of the female villain, Samantha quickly ran behind the form of Tommy, steeling herself as she rammed her body into his back, pushing him off his feet and crashing to the ground.

"Tommy!" The female villain cried out in anger. Gritting her teeth and spotting the white haired girl who had rammed into her brother, Tuppence moved her feet to try and go after the girl and throttle her but felt her feet stay stuck to the ground. "What the-?!" Staring down to check what was going on, the punk girls' eyes widened at the sight of ice covering her feet and planting her right into the ground. "Hey! Who frosted my feet?!"

"Why don't you worry more about me!" Superboy yelled, rushing towards the unsuspecting Tuppence Terror and punching her square in the chest.

Taking the full force of the punch, Tuppence Terror felt her feet leave their icy prison from the force, shards flying into the air as the force of Superboy's punch threw her into a nearby pillar. Shaking her head and recovering from the punch, Tuppence threw debris off her body and wiped a bit of blood off the side of her lip. "Ugh, son you sure do pack a wallop..."

Glaring back at her, Superboy readied another punch and headed right towards the villain. "Lady, I'm not your son." He answered back, heading towards Tuppence and throwing his next attack at her.

Smirking at his reaction, Tuppence reached out with a single hand and caught the punch of Superboy without much effort. His hand shaking with force and anger in her own, Tuppence only continued to look at Superboy, her hand gripping his tightly to keep him in place.

"And I ain't no lady." Tuppence replied back, rage filling her eyes. Grabbing onto Superboys' arm with her other hand, the younger Terror Twin roared out a cry and focused her strength into her body. Moving around to pull Superboy with her, the super strong female smirked back at Superboy and flung him with the help of her movement, watching the boy yell and fly off over the barricade of the second floor down to the bottom floor of the mall.

Moving to get back on her feet and ready herself for whatever came next, Winter gasped in surprise when she heard the yell of her partner. Looking towards the origin of the yelling, her eyes widened when she saw his form fly over the edge of the second floor and fall downwards to the bottom out of her reach. "Superboy!"

"Now it's time to take you down missy." Tommy replied while pushing himself off the ground. Shaking specks of dirt off him and gripping his fists tightly to set up his next move, the taller boy turned to look at Winter and gave her a flirtatious wink. "It's a shame, though. Your lookin quite perty from what I see."

Feeling like she was going to gag at the wink Tommy Terror gave her, Winter was irritated that the boy couldn't see the disgusted look on her face thanks to the bandana. Perhaps if would have given him a good hint.

"As _flattered_ as I am by the compliment, I think this is going to go the other way around." The ice user stated, pulling her right fist back to steady her hand for a strong counterattack if necessary. "And just so you know, I don't date guys who make me gag."

"And I don't let some fancy schmancy girl insult my brother!" Tuppence Terror yelled out, running towards the distracted ice user with a rush attack, ready to push her off the ledge of the second floor.

Senses flaring at the sound of the other twin coming towards her, Winter steeled herself and ran towards Tuppence with as much speed as she could muster. Getting closer and closer towards their intended targets, Winter shot a ray of ice on the next step of tiled floor Tuppence would step on.

Her boot connecting with the new slippery floor, Tuppence yelled out in surprise at her sudden loss of footing, feeling herself begin to slip from her running speed and lose her balance and fall towards the ground. Taking this moment to enact her next move, Winter slowed her speed and ducked low to the ground where Tuppence was heading. Calling on her acrobatics training, Winter motioned her body to bend backward, letting the bottoms of her shoes connect with the chest of the older villain. Using the terror twins' momentum from falling and calling upon what strength she had, Winter kicked upwards and pushed the villain up backward behind her with the help of a cartwheel, flipping back onto her feet and watching Tuppence fall over the ledge of the second floor with a crash sounding below.

Smoothing out the skirt of her dress and breathing in a couple deep breathes, Winter turned back to look at the angered look of Tommy Terror. "Just you and me now muscle head. What's your next move?"

"I'd say punchin' that cute face in for hurtin my lil' sis!" Tommy boasted and ran towards Winter to strike back.

Watching the male twin run towards her in a similar fashion as his sister, Winter smirked and moved her fist back, focusing her eyes on the line of sight Tommy Terror was running in. "Why don't you go cool off with your lil' sis than?" Staying in place and readying her next attack, Winter focused her powers into her gauntlet and raised her arm up before punching the air towards Tommy Terror. Her gauntlet glowing, a sudden ice blast projectile shot out like a bullet and rushed towards Tommy Terror's face.

"What the-" Still running towards the white-haired heroine, Tommy Terror took the unknown blast of ice head on from his speed, the attack whamming right into his face and covering his eyes with snow and frost. His sight gone and trying to scratch away at the frost and ice stuck on his face, the southern muscle continued to run in Winters' direction, though unable to tell where he was going. One final step than he should have taken, Tommy Terror ran into the barricade of the second floor, the momentum causing him to crash straight through and fall down to the first floor, a small crater of rubble beneath him.

Sighing in relief that her makeshift plan had been a success, Winter looked down at the gauntlet on her right hand, now noticing the growing and crawling cracks that spread out through the armored weapon. "That'll do for now. Let's use something I know how to keep from breaking."

Raising her arms in a cross position in front of her, Winter threw her arms out, the motion and focus of her power causing the gauntlets to shatter like glass. Shards of ice now broken and left around her feet, the ice user raised her hand out and summoned a replica of the rapier she had worked on that morning. "Gotta to get to Superboy."

Moving her gaze back and forth for a faster route than simply jumping off the ledge, Winter ran towards the broken down escalator and frosted the railing with ice. Jumping onto the railing and skating down it and a quickened pace, she looked out to the new battlefield on the first floor and spotted her partner once again taking on Tuppence Terror. "Hang in there Superboy! I'm coming!"

Hearing the support of Winter from off in the distance, Tuppence Turner looked back at the recovering Superboy with a smirk, raising her fist and slamming a hard punch right into his cheek.

Pain radiating from the attack, Superboy was knocked off his feet and flew a few feet off the ground, the colliding attack slamming him through the mall's wall and into the parking lot outside.

Shaking her hand a bit at the sting from the punch, Tuppence cackled at her success and turned to look to Winter who'd landed onto the floor. "Too slow there girly. I'd like to see ya try to take me down with that dorky ice pick of yours."

Hand gripping tightly on the handle of the sword, Winter shifted her gaze left and right, trying to check out the situation. Tuppence Terror was right ahead of her, with her brother recovering off to the left-hand side and getting out of his crater.

 _'Who the heck are these guys?'_ Winter wondered, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the two twins reuniting together. She was going to need some sort of strategy to get out of this mess. She was in no condition nor had the power to take both of them on herself, no matter how slow witted they seemed to be. She needed Superboy's help.

Trying to calm herself down, Winter motioned herself into a fencing stance to enact her plan. "This ice pick has got a lot more kick to it than you think."

"Yeah sure. Let's see how that turns out for ya." Tommy Turner answered, cracking his knuckles to signify he was ready for another brawl. "I'd like a little payback for that snowball you threw at me."

"Not before get a good punch in first Tommy. This girl and her boy toy got in the way of my shoppin." Tuppence added, glaring at the girl and smiling a sinister grin.

Eyes narrowing and shifting between the two twins, Winter relaxed her body somewhat to try and relieve the tension that was beginning to build inside her. If she was going to make this plan work, she would have to be faster than both the supers combined.

 _'Have to make this count. Just stay focused...now!'_ Samantha screamed in her head. Enacting her plan and shoving her left hand out in front of her, Winter sprayed a ray of ice at the bottoms of the Terror Twins feet, creating a small layer of ice to cover their feet and stick them in place.

Shielding their eyes from any projectile they thought was coming their way, the two twins gasped in surprise at the sudden chill in the air and looked down to see their feet had been trapped in a large layer of ice.

"Ugh! Is that the only trick ya got ice princess?!" Tuppence yelled, stopping her tantrum to pull her feet out and glared at the white-haired heroine.

"Not even close. Hope you like the cold!" Coating the mall floor with a coat of ice, Winter began skating off towards the large hole in the mall wall from Superboy's collision. Turning her body back to skate backward and keep her eyes on the two twins, Winter gripped the sword handle tightly in her hand before flinging the weapon towards their feet.

The sword soaring through the air and stabbing itself in front of the intended targets feet, the weapon began to crack bit by bit as seconds passed. The noises getting louder and louder, they began to slowly die down as a soft light grew from within the sword. Energy building up from the impact of the sword, the weapon suddenly exploded in a blast of cold air, the resulting blast spraying out a large thick fog of chilling cold around the two twins in an eight-foot radius and blinding them.

"Hope that keeps them busy," Winter muttered to herself in comfort, her eyes scanning over her latest move against the Terror Twins. Seeing that the two hadn't come out to attack her, Winter turned her back and skated hastily towards the makeshift exit.

Jumping through the large hole in the wall, Winter caught her descent as she walked a few steps to slow herself down and stood still in the streets of the parking lot mall. Eyes scanning back and forth for some sign of the dark haired superhero, Winter gritted her teeth beneath the black bandana and yelled. "Superboy?! Where are you?"

"Over here." The pained voice of Superboy called out in response. His body laying atop a broken car, most likely from his impact, the black-haired teen groaned and brushed the leftover glass of the windshield out of his hair and slowly sat up from the debris.

Rushing over to Superboy and looking over him for any major wounds, the ice user thanked whatever force in the world had helped her friend and began dusting off the debris from Superboys' body. "I slowed them down for a bit, but it's not going to last long."

"Ugh, nothing seems to be working on these guys. What are they made of?" Superboy questioned, groaning at the pain from his impact as he sat up from the broken car.

Frowning at the comment from Superboy, Winter rubbed her forehead in aggravation, her thoughts running a mile a second trying to remember the fight so far. "They aren't invincible. Nobody is."

 _'This shouldn't be happening. Superboy and I were able to take down countless Genomorph soldiers during the mess with Cadmus without much problems. So why isn't anything we're doing making a good enough dent in them? Those two may be strong, but we're just as smart and skilled. Aren't we?'_ Winter thought, gripping the handle of her sword tightly in her hand.

"There they are! Can't wait to get a piece o' em!"

"You n' me both brother!"

Turning on her heel to look towards the direction the voices were coming from, Winter gritted her teeth at the sight of Tommy and Tuppence Terror making their way out of the mall and heading in her and Superboy's location. Reaching her hand out, the ice user grabbed the hilt of her crafted rapier and pulled it out from the ground, moving her feet to steady herself into a sword stance. "We need a strategy and fast."

"Hit em' harder than before." Superboy answered back, moving off the dented car and landing next to Winter and glaring at the two twins heading their way.

Frowning a bit at the answer, Winter said nothing but steeled herself for whatever was going to come next. Watching the twin get closer and closer to her and Superboy, Winter gripped her sword tightly in her hand and awaited the next attack from the twins...

That was until the two skidded to a halt. Looks of shock and what seemed like fear on their faces, the twins stared at Winter and Superboy, hesitant on what to do next.

"Dang it, Tup! I ain't sure we're ready for them two's yet..." Tommy Terror exclaimed, taking a step back from where he stood.

Mirroring the same expression her twin had, Tuppence nodded her head and motioned her brother to follow her. "Nah Tom. Definitely a better part o' valor moment." Looking back to the heroes with a glare, Tuppence and Tommy jumped off the ground, vaulting themselves high into the air and disappearing from view.

Eyes following after the terrified duo, Winter loosened her grip on her weapon and let it rest at her side, her expression very much showing confusion. "Uhh...What just happened?"

Not very clear on the development either, Superboy watched the twins get away. "I think we scared them off. Do we go after them?"

"No, you did not. And no, it bad idea little snowflakes."

 _'Oh no.'_ Winter thought, her body tensing at the familiar nickname. Only one person called her that.

Slowly turning around to confront the owner of the voice, the younger female's eyes only widened further when she spotted not only the form of her mentor, Ice Maiden, but also the intimidating figure of Superman himself next to her. Of all the people to catch them in the act, why did it have to be her mentor? And Superboys' father at that?

Superman's gaze looking to Winter in examination, his eyes shifted to her partner and his son. Eyes narrowing a bit at the boy, Superman just as quickly moved his gaze to where the criminal twins had gone off to. "I'll go after them." He spoke, lifting off the ground and flying into the distance.

Giving an affirmative nod to her comrade and seeing Superman fly off, Ice Maiden turned her gaze back to her protege, arms crossed over her chest to signify her mood. "I thought when spooky bat said to wait, you both would listen. I never expected own protege to break rules. And so quickly."

Shock written on her face, Samantha shook her head and stood face to face with her mentor. "Hey, that isn't what happened at all! We were minding our own business when those two crazy twins attacked civilians. We were just do-"

"Uh uh uh. Enough." Ice Maiden spoke, raising her hand up to stop her protege from talking. "No excuses. I am sad that two snowflakes could not wait one day to go be heroes, but your performance is what made heroic soul more disappointed." The older woman explained, giving Samantha a shake of her head.

"Y-You saw the fight?" Samantha asked, a bit surprise by the observation.

"Yes, or rather steel man did with invisible eyes. He explained what was going on while he watched from afar. When we saw the poor display, we decided to finally jump in to aid you."

Eyebrow raised at the strange wording her mentor spoke, Samantha gave a quizzical look. "Poor...display? What's that supposed to mean Ice?"

"Your fighting. Superboy was strong, yes, and you were quite fast and able to come up with good ways to use power against the enemy, but neither could beat down. Even if they were strong, there was no reason for a battle to go so long, nor be in their favor." Ice spoke, her voice lowering as it began to critique the battle she had witnessed.

The mistakes of the battle being pointed out in front of her, Samantha couldn't help but shirk her shoulders in shame, frowning as her gaze shifted downward. "W-We were doing our best. We had it handled."

"Not from what I heard. You seemed to be missing something quite important during the fight. Something that you so easily had during the mission at Cadmus that made snowflake and sidekicks victorious. It surprises me that with such good head on shoulders, you didn't notice you were lacking it today." Ice Maiden pointed out, moving close to her protege and looking down at her.

Irritation slowly lacing her features, the shorter ice user gripped her weapon in anger and glared up at her mentor. "This isn't the time for one of your cryptic lessons Ice. If you noticed something was wrong during our battle, just tell me up front."

Smiling at the pouting look on her protege's face, Ice Maiden simply shook her head. "I'd rather not tell. If I recall, you say just a day ago that you were ready to be a hero, no?"

 _'Wait, what? What did that have to do with anything?'_ The heiress thought. However registering the uncertainty she had, Samantha dismissed the question. Through all the years Ice Maiden had mentored her and taught her, she was always straight with her in her weird, mysterious way.

Anger slowly dying down at the question, Samantha loosened the grip on her sword and stared back at her mentor, uncertainty in her eyes. "Y-Yes. Of course, I did. I was born ready and I've trained my entire life for it."

"I see. Well, being a hero means you shouldn't always be told own mistakes. Heroes should be able to figure those out on own, especially if they have already exhibited it." Ice Maiden spoke, smiling at her protege and bending down to meet her at eye level. "If you want to show spooky bat and I that you are serious about being real hero, figure out mistake on your own. Improve yourself, master mistake, and be sure to never forget again. What you seem to have forgotten is something essential to all heroes, and you will need if you hope to be in league." Reaching out to her protege, Ice Maiden gave a cheeky grin before lightly flicking the forehead of Samantha in a playful gesture. "I must be off. Be sure you both find out mistake and be rid of it by time spooky bat has answer."

Getting up from the ground and nodding in approval to her protege, Ice Maiden turned her back to the teen heroes and ran off into the direction of Superman and the Terror Twins.

The battle over, their mentors gone, and the conversation now over Winter stood silently in the parking lot and let her mentor's words try to sink in. Watching the ice that she had summoned during the battle slowly melt away and watching the strands of her hair slowly turn back to brown, Samantha looked up at the sky as if trying to find some sort of answer. What had it been that she was talking about?

"Superboy," Samantha called out. "Do you...know what Ice was talking about?"

Seconds passed with no answer to Winters' question. Moving her gaze to look at the back of Superboy, Samantha could only sigh at the sight of Superboy gazing out at the sky where Ice Maiden, and more specifically Superman, had gone off.

 _'He didn't even say hi to him.'_ Samantha thought, face relaxing into a saddened expression at the sight of her fellow hero looking out as if waiting for something to come. _'Some fun experience this turned out to be for him.'_

Deciding it be best to move on from the events prior, Samantha slowly walked over to Superboy and placed a hand on the taller boys' shoulder. "Hey? You okay?"

Not making any movement to remove her hand from himself, Superboy moved his head and looked to stare at Samantha straight in the eyes. "You think Superman is going to be there? When Batman calls us?"

Wanting to give the most honest answer she possibly could without hurting his feelings, Samantha shrugged and did her to give a reassuring smile to her friend. "I think he will. Just as long as there isn't some crazy disaster going on somewhere else that needs him."

Looking out to the sky for a few more moments, the now brunette-haired teen patted Superboy on the shoulder and turned to make her way back to the mall. "'C'mon. We better go back and finish our business here. We can rest back at my house."

His mind still on the events prior, Superboy breathed out a heavy sigh and turned to follow after Samantha, hands digging into his new pants pockets while he walked.

There would be more time to wonder about everything later.

* * *

A day had passed since the fight with the Terror Twins. And it had felt like a long one. That was what Samantha Freya had thought for sure.

Nothing much happened after the fight against the Terror Twins, the brother and sister combo the two heroes had fought against prior. With Superboys' mind consumed with thoughts of his estranged father and beatdown and Samanthas' continued efforts to try and understand her mentors' cryptic words, neither of the two had wanted to do anything more than just go back to the mansion and forget the day happened. It worked for a time, but with nothing to do but sit around in the mansion or find something that could preoccupy their time, thoughts of the battle the day before would come back to haunt them. Moreso for Winter.

Samantha had wanted to be on her own most of the time since the battle. She'd wanted to think over Ice Maiden's words to her, but remembering the lecture she had gotten, the ice user pushed them aside and did anything else to distract her. Ice crafting, playing the piano, helping her father with documents. Just about anything to not stress her out.

But at some point, she'd have to face her mentor's words.

Standing on the marble floor of her spacious bathroom, the brunette began to strip her clothes off piece by piece in a slow fashion, her mind still stuck on everything that had happened as the sounds of running water from the shower began to build steam into the room.

"It's been a full day since the fight and I still can't shake it off." Feeling her eyes narrow in a small aggravated glare, Samantha threw her dress angrily at a nearby wall. "It was supposed to be simple. Show Superboy a good time, get him the clothes he needed, and have some fun while we wait out Batman's decision."

Reaching up to grab her tied up hair, Samantha pulled the hairband out of its tie and began to unravel her braided hair. "But, of course, something had to go wrong. Those two ruined the entire day for us. Superboy seems to be less talkative as usual after seeing Superman and Ice gave me a lecture. I haven't needed a lecture from her in months."

Placing the hair tie on the sink counter and rustling the strands of her hair through her fingers, the brunette tiredly looked up to look face to face with her own reflection.

Her hair was a mess.

She looked tired and stressed out.

And her friend was being unresponsive since the fight.

"Why can't anything just go right for one day?" Samantha asked herself, her eyes gazing at her reflection. Sadly, obviously, no answer was going to come out of the mirror to her question.

It would have helped, though.

Unintentionally moving her left hand up to trace over her scarred eye, the brunette groaned and let her head fall down to stare at the sink countertop. "This shouldn't be getting to me. We didn't do well in that fight, but nobody is perfect, not even me. Mistakes were bound to happen."

 _'But I shouldn't have been on the receiving end of a beat down like that. Even if I was tired from the Cadmus fight, I should be skilled and coordinated enough to have taken those guys down. What was the point of training all that time and trying to male father proud of my hero work if I couldn't even stop two teenagers?'_ Samantha scolded mentally, her eyes shutting tight at the images of the Terror Twins appearing in her mind.

Pushing herself away from the sink and walking into the now heated shower, the petite girl couldn't help but let a gasp of pleasure escape her lips, the warm water touching her skin and feeling like pure bliss on her aching muscles and letting the bath cleanse the stress away.

Moving to casually lean on the wall of the shower and letting the water cascade over her porcelain skin and long brunette hair, Ice Maiden's conversation prior resurfaced into Winters' thoughts.

" _ **You seemed to be missing something quite important during the fight. Something that you so easily had during the mission at Cadmus that made snowflake and sidekicks victorious."**_

"What did she mean? Something we were missing?" Samantha asked herself, her mind still trying to comb over whatever detail she could pull from her mentors' message. It couldn't have been something too trivial like their actual gear or uniforms. Even Samantha knew that her mentor would never scold her for an incident and timing she had no control over.

 _'Something we had at Cadmus. She made sure to point that out when she was talking. But why?'_ Samantha thought.

Cadmus was not the best example of preparation that Winter could ever seem to think of in her hero career. Really it was a good example of defiance in her short time as a hero, but despite the odds, it had been successful.

But what was a part of it that she and Superboy didn't have yesterday?

Was it the lack of numbers? Their "team" was a lot bigger at Cadmus that was a given, but again Samantha knew Ice wouldn't be so cryptic over something so trivial like numbers. Numbers didn't equal success.

Was it the lack of how fast to learn her enemies weaknesses? She may not have known every move a Genomorph soldier would make during her escapade at Cadmus, although she'd found her way at taking them down a lot faster after just a few traded punches and skating around their attacks. Unfortunately, it had been significantly harder with the Terror Twins. Their strength was just too much to handle in the lack of supplies they had.

" _ **What you seem to have forgotten is something essential to all heroes, and you will need if you hope to be a hero like league."**_

"To be a hero in the league..." Scrubbing off the layers of dirt off her arms and soaking her shampooed hair through the falling water, Samantha drudged through her mentors' critique. "I want to Ice, I really do. I thought I proved myself already. So why confront me like you did?"

Feeling the suds drip off her body to the tiled floor beneath her feet, the ice user stopped scrubbing her hair and let her arms fall to her sides and stood still, a melancholic feeling slowly building inside her chest.

"I am ready...aren't I?" Her voice echoing hesitation.

No, of course, she was. She's been ready since...forever ago. She'd been ready before Cadmus, she'd been ready before she'd gone to the Hall of Justice, and she'd been ready today when she woke up still waiting for an answer from Batman. She had always been ready and she wasn't going to let one screw up ruin her plan to join the Justice League.

"I shouldn't be second guessing myself. I already know my answer. If only Superboy and I hadn't separated during the fight for so long. We..." Samantha stopped mid-sentence, her voice catching in her throat.

Memories from a day ago popping up in her mind, the ice user slowly began to take specific parts of it and piece them together like a puzzle.

She and Superboy had only spoken about strategy for one moment before they attacked. The two had agreed and from it were successfully able to get the Terror Twins away from the civilians they captured.

But what else came from it? Nothing.

As soon as the fight took place Superboy and Samantha had been separated by the twins and used none of their time to try and group back up early in the fight and take them on together. At least not until they'd had their butts fully kicked.

Realization showing on her face with a wide-eyed expression, Samantha groaned and rubbed a slippery wet hand across her eyes, feeling a wave of loathing wash over her.

"I'm such an idiot. It was so obvious." Grabbing the faucet and turning the shower off, Samantha took a deep breath and stood in place in the shower.

Teamwork.

Of all of the important lessons that Ice Maiden had ever explained or taught her in her three years of tutelage, teamwork had been the solid foundation of it all. Super powers could get you so far in battle, and intellect could outwit people with time and enough planning. However, if you plan to or found yourself on a team, and would most likely be a possibility in the world she lived in, learning how to fight alongside others was a must.

What Ice Maiden had pointed out to the young heiress was true. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, Superboy, and she had all somehow found a way to work together side by side through all the chaos. She wasn't sure on the details of how it worked the way it did, but together and with careful precision, they'd made a victory that night that had changed the course of their lives. It was the very reason she was in the situation she was in now.

But if that was the case, why hadn't it worked out the same way yesterday?

 _'Now that I think about it, neither Superboy or I were the ones giving orders during the Cadmus fiasco.'_ Samantha thought, her memories flashing back to moments days prior.

It had been the calculating mind of Robin and the maturity of Aqualad together that had gotten through the thickest of things. They'd found ways to take their enemies down, but only with the help of some of the others skills and communication on their part.

"Maybe that's the problem." Samantha spoke out loud, dropping her head low and stared down at the shower floor. "I relied too much on them to make the plans and communicate, and when it came time that they weren't around, I had no idea what I was doing. Or maybe it was about my speed? Superboy needed my help and I was too slow to help him before he got knocked through that wall. That fight may have been a small-time thing, but in a real fight I can't react that slow."

Closing her eyes at a small growing pain inside her head, Samantha grumbled and moved back to stand up straight. Reaching for a nearby towel on the towel rack, the brunette rubbed the water off her face and groaned once again, this time letting the soft towel muffle her voice. "Or maybe I'm overthinking this all and giving myself a headache."

Removing the towel from her face and rubbing down the water off her skin, Samantha pushed the shower door open and carefully stepped out onto the tile floor. Her body feeling refreshed compared to the long day it had felt like, Samantha felt safe to say that the shower had done wonders for her, at least in terms of relaxation and cleanliness.

"I'll just have to try and improve on it. Batman is going to send word tomorrow and if I don't have this figured out, it'll be a lot harder to prove I have what it takes. Just as long as that's what Ice was talking about I should be fine." Samantha muttered to herself, walking over to the bathroom mirror and began to comb her hair out. "I'm going to end up messing up my skin with all of this stress. Or even hallucinate."

"Samantha?"

Her reflection mimicking her eye roll, Samantha shook her head and continued brushing her hair. "See? Now I'm imagining hearing Superboy's voice."

"Samantha? You in here?"

"Wait, I'm hearing him again?" She asked herself, unsure if the stress she was getting was actually affecting her. Clutching her towel a bit tighter and putting the comb down, the ice user slowly walked over step by step closer to the bathroom door. "S-Superboy?"

"Samantha? You in there?" Superboy called out from behind the door, his voice laced with confusion. Ready to come in, the super clone reached out and gripped the doorknob, ready to turn it and check inside.

Hearing the familiar rattle of the doorknob, Samantha jumped a bit and clung to her only semblance of safety at hiding her body. Embarrassment blowing up deep inside her and a small bit of fear mixed in, Samantha hastily gripped onto the doorknob from the other side to keep it from turning. "D-Don't you dare open this door Superboy!"

"Why not?" The boy asked, his voice giving off pure confusion.

 _'Why not?!'_ Samantha thought, her face steaming even more than what she shower had caused. She knew that Superboy had been taught about a wide variety of things such as locations, history, science, and the existence of super heroes, but had the super intellectual powerhouse that was Cadmus not consider at all explaining or teaching him about human customs or mannerisms. Things that didn't need to be spoken out loud but people just knew about?

Probably not, which was why she was now in this situation. What was she even supposed to say?!

"B-Because, that's why!" Samantha yelled from behind the door, not giving a real reason to the boy. "Just...Just don't open it okay? I'm not dressed and I'd rather not have a reverse situation of last night." The brunette replied, her face only feeling hotter after replying.

And now she had the images of last night popping back into her head again. Like she needed those images keeping her up at night for the second time. Even if they were kind of hot.

 _'Oh God, stop thinking about him like that! Stupid teenage hormones!'_ Her thoughts screamed, her body tensing at the bubbling feeling in her chest.

Rubbing her red face to try and ignore the flaring feelings inside of her, Samantha looked at the door blocking the two of them apart. Now that she had thought of it, none of this would have been happening if Superboy hadn't called out to her.

From the other side of the bathroom door.

Which was in her room!

"Wait, what are you doing in my room?" Samantha pointed out, not sure if she was going to like the answer.

Standing outside of the door with an eyebrow raised confused, the cloned boy answered back. "I didn't have anything better to do, so I came over to see what you were up to. I knocked this time, but you didn't answer."

 _'Well that's nice. At least he learned his lesson from last time.'_ Samantha thought, the momentary feeling of awkwardness disappearing at Superboy's casual answer. "As glad as I am to hear you did that Superboy, you can't just walk into someone's room if they don't answer. It's impolite and you need permission."

"But didn't you walk into my room without my permission last night?" Superboy mentioned.

Jumping up at the statement from her male intruder, Samantha couldn't help but laugh a bit. Leaning on the bathroom door, Samantha answered back. "Yeah. I guess you are right about that. I guess I can let this slide. Just don't tell anyone this happened. Kid Flash especially."

 _"_ Don't really know why I'd tell anyone, but I won't. Promise." Superboy replied from behind the door, hand raised to rub his neck nervously.

"Thank you." Samantha answered, relief growing inside her at knowing this little problem wasn't going to be found out. Like she needed more things to worry about and think over.

Like the fight and what Ice Maiden had said.

Did she want to bring those problems back up just after she decided to put them away for another time? She wasn't sure, but maybe another's opinion would help to make her understand better.

"Hey, Superboy?"

"Yeah?"

Tensing up a little at his response, Samantha laid her head on the wooden door and closed her eyes. "The fight yesterday. How do you think it went? And be honest, like usual."

Silence ensued in a matter of seconds. No words or sounds were spoken between the space the two shared, leaving Samantha to worry about what Superboy's answer might be. Did he not have an opinion on it?

"It was bad, I think." Superboy finally answered. "We got ourselves beat up pretty good. Those Trouble Twins or whatever they call themselves were annoying too."

Or he did.

Unable to stop the laughing from Superboys' version of the "Terror Twins" names, the brunette smiled a little. "Yeah, those guys were really annoying. If we meet them again I'm giving them double payback."

Letting go of the doorknob handle and reaching down to play with the fabric of her towel, Samantha sighed, her face losing its smile from before and returning to its less energetic expression from earlier. "It's just...my mentor, Ice Maiden. She said some stuff to me after she and Superman showed up. About how the reason our battle didn't go as well as we wanted it to was because we were missing something during the fight. Something we need if we want to be more than sidekicks."

"I think she meant teamwork." Samantha continued, trying to get her thoughts in order to better communicate to her partner. "We didn't do much planning before we jumped into the fight, and even when we were doing okay on our own, neither of us tried to go and help the other. At least not until things got really bad on our part."

Her hand clinging to her towel tighter from the building stress, a frustrated look appeared on Samantha's face as she glared down at the floor. "I...I don't know what to make of it. I've been stressing out over it trying to figure out what to do, but I keep coming up with nothing. And Batmans' going to send word to us any day now. I'm freaking-"

"Just work on it." Superboy interrupted, his voice traveling through the door.

Halting her mini freakout to let Superboys' answer sink in, the heiress moved her head up and turned to look at the door between the two, confusion morphed on her face. "W-What?"

"I don't know. Just...work on it I guess? There's no reason to think about every word she meant right? If you know what's wrong, just do more to get better at it." The uncertain voice of Superboy spoke.

Listening to her companions' words, Samantha turned her head back to stare at the empty room she stood in and let the advice given to her sink in.

He...was right.

There was no reason for her to be freaking out like this.

She still had time and she was still learning. She'd find a way to improve herself, just like she had with many of her skills over the past couple of years.

Just screwed up one fight, but it was not the end of the world for her. She didn't have to overthink it. She just needed to know what she did wrong and fix it.

 _'Brutally honest and to the point. Your the complete opposite of me Superboy.'_ Samantha thought, unable to control the smile growing on her face. It had to be nice, not having to overthink things so much like she did. It must have made life a bit less stressful.

"Superboy, would you mind leaving my room for a bit? I need to get dressed." Samantha muttered quietly, her face flaring up with heat at her comment.

"Uh...yeah. I'll wait outside." Superboy answered, the sound of his feet shuffling on the tile floor of her room before the sound of her bedroom door opened up and closed shut.

Thankful that she no longer felt quarantined to her bathroom, Samantha slowly opened her door and headed over to her closet, putting on a simple blue t-shirt, pants, and other necessary clothing pieces to keep her body clothes. Drying her hair off once more with the help of her towel and combing her long hair out, Samantha headed towards her bedroom door and opened it.

Standing out in the long and lush hallway was Superboy, clothed in another pair of pants and matching familiar shirt with logo. Turning to look at Samantha who had just appeared from her room, the taller boy gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "Hey."

"Hey." Samantha answered back, smiling to the boy and closing the door behind her. "Superboy. Thank you."

"For what?" He asked, not sure where the compliment was coming from.

"For what you said." Samantha spoke, smiling to the boy and walked over to him. "I know you probably don't see it as much. You were just answering my question, but what you said really helped me think over everything. A lot better than how I've been trying to." She explained, the young teen fidgeting with her hands as she spoke.

 _'Hurry up. You can do this. It's not going to be for too long. Just get it over with and don't freak out.'_ Her thoughts screamed.

Face feeling a bit warm and her heart ready to explode from the anticipation, Samantha swallowed the nervousness building inside her and reached her arms out and wrapped them around Superboy into a soft hug. "So...thank you or the advice."

Feeling the small arms of Samantha wrapped around him, Superboy felt the thoughts in his mind screech to a halt, his brain no longer able to process what exactly was going on. Standing still and letting the shorter girl continue the hug, Superboy stared down at her, examining what exactly she was doing to him.

He knew what a hug was. Cadmus had at least taught him about some human greetings and signs of affection, a hug being one of them. But he still was not quite sure why Winter was hugging him, nor why his heart rate was beating a bit faster than it had before.

Now that he mentioned it, he was sure Winter's heart rate was beating faster than normal too, from what he could hear. Was something wrong with her?

Deciding it be best to finally end the hug, Samantha let go of Superboy and moved a little away from him, her porcelain skin easily showing the redness of her cheeks. "Sorry about that. I didn't invade any personal space did I?"

Realizing the hug had ended and hearing Samantha speak, Superboy looked back to Samantha in attention, trying to find some sort of answer to respond with. "No. It was...fine."

"Oh. That's...good." Samantha hesitantly replied, scratching the back of her head and giving a sheepish smile. "Well...I guess we should go find something fun to do. I'll see if Reginald can make us some snacks while we watch a movie. Or something."

Chuckling a bit to avoid the awkward air that was in the hall, Samantha smiled and turned away from Superboy and headed down the hallway, leaving Superboy to his own thoughts.

Standing by himself in the hall and watching Samantha walk off and disappear from his view, the dark-haired teen blinked his eyes a few times, trying to register what exactly had happened. Reaching his hand up and placing it on his chest, Superboy waited patiently to feel the rhythmic beating of his heart, faster paced that it was supposed to be.

"Why is my heart beating so fast? Is something wrong with me?" Superboy asked out loud, focusing to lower his heart rate. His mind tryng to surface any information the Genomorphs had taught him in his pod, Superboy frowned. Nothing so far seemed to be making any-

"Superboy?"

Halting his search for an answer, Superboy looked out to the end of the hall, the form of Samantha waving to him.

"Are you coming? You're going to be more bored than before if you just stand in the hallway all day." Samantha joked, smiling and motioning him to follow her.

"Yeah. I'm coming." Superboy called back, moving his hand back to his side and heading down the hallway to meet back with Samantha.

Nothing so far from the Genomorphs gave Superboy any answer. He was not unhealthy or weak enough that it would explain the problem. But Superboy had noticed something in those few moments.

His heart rate jumped more when Samantha talked to him.

Maybe she was a health risk?


	7. Welcome to Happy Harbor Pt 1

Hi, readers! I hope life is going well. Mine is-ish. Honestly, I'm really just tired with the workload I have for school. I'm taking five college classes now, which I've never done before, so my homework load is a lot bigger and takes up a lot more time. Especially since one is a statistics class and three of them are different English classes.

Ugh, so many papers. TAT

Anyways, here's the next chapter. I'm hoping to try and get these out much faster, but with school work that may be a bit hard. I'll try and make the chapters a bit shorter, maybe make episodes two parters if need be to get content out, so don't be confused to the smaller length in chapters. ;3

Thoughts = _'Thoughts'_

Telepathic Thoughts = **'Telepathic Thoughts'**

Memories = " _ **Memories"**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or anything of the DC Comics franchise. It'd be sweet if I did own something though.

* * *

 _ **-Star City**_

 _ **July 17th, 2010, 23:15 PDT-**_

Jumping atop a large metal shipping crate, Winter dressed in her hero uniform and wrapped in her pure white hooded cloak looked out at the shipping docks of Star City. The night sky alit with stars glittering like diamonds and the moon lighting the sky above, it made the usually noisy dock feel peaceful despite the smell of oil and the cold wind catching the salty air of the sea around the clock.

 _'I hope he's doing okay without me.'_ Winter anxiously thought, her mental energy focused on Superboy of all things. She'd honestly felt like she'd gotten closer to him since the Cadmus missions, letting him stay at her house, and their training practice before Batman had called them to become an official team. They had become friends during their time together, being on her own again after having someone around for so long...the separation felt like a part of her was missing. It sounded silly in her head, but she'd never felt an empty space like this before.

Everything was fine. It was, as much as her worries made her think. He was with Miss Martian after all. Their new team mate and the niece of Martian Manhunter, Miss Martian was the newest addition to the "team" after the group had met up at a secret base in the town of Happy Harbor. It had become their new fortress after Batman and the League had fixed it up, and the group was now being tasked with recon missions to do for the League while they did the more obvious saving the world things.

Well, they hadn't had a real mission yet, but it would happen soon. Samantha was sure of it.

But that was beside the point. What she felt mattered at that moment was that Superboy was fine. Miss Martian, from what she had gathered, is a kind person, though a bit naïve and a little new to being "human" similarly to Superboy. However, her heart (Martians had hearts right?) was in the right place. She was kind, energetic, helpful, and patient from what the ice user gathered when she had become the recent target of affection for Kid Flash. At least more-so than herself when it came to his flirting.

 _'The poor girl. I'm going to have to make sure Wally doesn't scare her away off the team.'_

Quietly jumping off the crate to a ledge below her, Winter silently stalked through a small passage of stacked shipping crates, staying close to the shadows and as silent as a phantom. As much as she wanted to keep thinking about Superboy, there were more important matters the heroine needed to focus on.

Reaching the end of the hidden passage and staying low to the ground, Winter looked out from her hood and stared at a small gathering off in the distance. A couple of guards, armed and hiding their faces, stood out at the nearby dock awaiting a crate that was being lifted down to them. Off to the side, a larger man dressed in a well-made suit supervised the situation, a smug grin on his face as he waited for the results. He was known as Brick on the streets. An enemy of Green Arrow and known for his criminal record in smuggling, it was a given he'd be back on the streets after getting off on a recent charge.

Winter had heard of Brick every now and then in Star City, always finding some way to crawl into some money and get the best weapons from the most illegal sources. Ice Maiden and Green Arrow though always took care of him, with Speedy on back-up if need be.

Never her, though. Ice always giving the excuse that she didn't want her "little snowflake" getting seriously hurt from a bullet or something, usually pulling the father card on her and making her round up the lackeys and any stolen goods.

 _'I'm not being left out this time.'_ Winter thought, her eyes looking over every detail of the situation. It was still hard to believe that there was an activity like this going on in her own hometown. Nobody wanted to think such things were going on in the shadows, but here it was happening right in front of her. _'You start crime in my city, and you've got to answer to me.'_

Keeping to the shadows and clasping her right hand closed, Winter, let her powers build up in the space between her fingers, ice solidifying into thin ice needles between her fingers, ready to strike whoever she threw them at.

A few moments later, the plan began to set into motion. Speedy, standing at a higher vantage point atop a shipping crate shot an arrow and began his onslaught at Brick, the muscled criminal taking the hits like a solid wall.

Seeing their boss in trouble, some of the goons headed to the smuggled goods to give a helping hand. Unfortunately, an annoying and talkative speedster was ready for them, speeding in as a blur of yellow and red, punching some of the hired guns off their feet.

The few who had grabbed their newfound weapons turned to try and shoot at Kid Flash, but could already tell their aim was nowhere good enough to get him when he was running circles around them.

However, he was the least of their problems.

Glints of metal catching off the moonlight, small batarangs flew through the air and collided with the hands of the leftover goons, knocking their guns out of their grasps. Gasping in pain and clutching their pain filled hands, the street clothed men looked towards where the tools had come from, their eyes spotting the form of Robin, laughing and swinging off towards a shipping crate to land on.

Taking this opportunity to take the goons by surprise, Aqualad appeared from around a shipping crate and took out his water bearers. Using his Atlantean magic to form an arc of water, the Atlantean swung heavily in the hired helps direction, the water flinging in a solid motion towards them and knocking all of the goons in his path into the solid metal walls of the van.

"How about you try some of this fish boy!" Kicking the drivers' door open and gun in hand, a leftover goon looked towards Aqualad and pointed his weapon at the boy, aiming to shoot.

"Not so fast!" Appearing from the shadows in her hooded glory, Winter raised her arm up and kept her gaze on the shooters' arm, sure to aim properly. Wasting no time to retaliate, Winter flung her created ice needles towards the shooters, watching her projectiles fly through the air. One making its way towards the gun, it lodged itself into the barrel of the gun, leaving the weapon useless as the other three landed their mark into the shooters' sleeve, pushing his arm back and pinning it into the door behind him.

Turning his head to look at the man who had almost gotten a shot at him, Aqualad lightly glared and turned his head back to Winter and gave a thankful nod. "Much appreciated."

"No problem," Winter replied back, giving a two finger salute before turning her sights onto Brick and Speedy. "Better go help him out. He looks like he could use it." Winter mildly joked, catching her breath for a fleeting moment.

Steeling herself, Winter ran off towards the main event, keeping low and quickly moved past Brick who was pulling literal concrete off the ground to chuck at the teens. Heading towards Speedy's point, Winter moved closer and cartwheeled, using her speed to vault off the ground and landed next to Speedy who was notching another arrow and shooting at the angered Brick.

"Got a better plan than just shooting him with arrows?" Winter asked, a small hint of attitude laced in her voice as she held her hands out, gripping the air for a moment before a medium sized battle hammer made of ice appeared in her grip, icy fog lifting from it.

"Hey, I got this handled. The only reason I called you here was because this guy was moving product in your hometown." Speedy retorted, his eyes narrowing at Brick from below. "And I thought you'd be coming alone, not bringing the rest of the sidekicks along."

Shaking his body to help dissipate the smoke around him, Brick gripped the large boulder of rock in his hands and looked back up to where Speedy and Winter stood. Moving his arms back, Brick flung the large projectile towards them, the mass of the rock taking up a wide area.

Speedy, taking the opportunity to roll out of the way of the boulder and shoot another arrow, Winter stood her ground despite the oncoming threat. Gripping the hammer in her hands firmly and turning her body back, the petite ice user turned her body and swing the hammer towards the boulder, feeling the weapon connect with the rock before both it and the hammer exploded into pieces of rock and ice respectively.

A sting shot throughout the ice users' body, making her grit her teeth in pain. However just as fast as it appeared, the sting disappeared, masked by the rush of adrenaline she was feeling. Opening and closing her fists for a few moments to regain feeling in her hands, Winter turned back to look at Speedy, her eyes steeling into a glare.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea. I came here to take Brick down. They tagged along because they wanted to convince you to join the team. I'm still against it." Winter answered, her glare narrowing further as she turned away and huffed at the boy.

Jumping off a nearby crate, Aqualad stood up alongside the bickering teens, his eyes looking to Speedy. "Despite _some_ of our member's reservations, we would be happy to have you on the team. The cave has everything the team will need."

Flipping down to land next to Winter, Robin smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. For covert missions. You know, spy stuff." He explained, excitement evident in his voice.

"And wait till you see Superboy and Miss Martian." Kid Flash exclaimed, the same excitement in his voice as he ran up the shipping crate and stood next to Aqualad. Just as he landed, the red-headed speedsters pointed a thumb towards himself. "But I saw her first."

Groaning at the unneeded comment from Kid Flash, Winter shook her head. "Pretty sure you can't call dibs on someone who isn't interested in you."

Smirking at the response, Kid Flash combed a hand through his hair. "Oh yeah? What woman wouldn't be interested in a piece of this?"

"A smart woman." Winter answered back in a matter of fact tone, turning her gaze back to Brick who was beginning to recover from the arrow smokescreen Speedy shot at him.

Coughing and waving his large hands around to clear the air, Brick growled at the group of teenagers above him and stabbed his hands into the ground, once again pulling out a large slab of concrete to throw at the nuisances in his way. Pulling his body back and throwing the large rock, the heavy projectile made its way towards the group at a fast speed.

"Time to move!" Robin yelled, the teens scattering to parts of the shipping dock. Robin made his way to another shipping crate for safety, while Kid Flash rolled off to the far end of the shipping dock, keeping low to the ground and speeding off to keep his distance. Aqualad, keeping his ground, summoned his water morning stare weapons and swung at the large boulder, being the one to break it this time while Speedy moved to the far right and shot another arrow, hitting its mark and creating another smoke screen.

Crossing his arms over his chest to take the hit, Brick laughed loudly at the newest attempt to slow him down, his arms lowering to smirk at Speedy. "Hahaha. Tell Arrow he shouldn't send boys to do a man's job."

"And girl, you sexist!" Winter's voice yelled back, a sudden ray of ice shooting out from behind a shadow.

Yelling in pain at the sudden freezing temperature his back felt, Brick moved his arm back to touch his cold back, frost, and ice covering his fingertips. Growling and swinging his arm in a fast motion behind him, Brick turned around, moving his head back and forth to try and find the source of the ice that now coated his body. "Come out little girl! If these kids can't take me down, what makes you think you can?!"

Hidden behind a nearby crate, Winter bent low to the ground and pulled her hood, hoping to focus her nerves on to ready her next move. She hated this guy, but he was right. She needed something to stop him or slow him down significantly...

There was always _that_.

 _'I haven't perfected it yet, though. I can't control where I go still.'_ Winter thought, the rational part of her mind stopping the teen from going out.

 _'But it doesn't matter if I can't control where I go. Just as long as I rush past him at a fast enough pace, everything will be fine. Even if I run right into a metal wall if it works it works.'_ The impulsive side of her retorted, making the girl grin with satisfaction.

"I'm pretty resourceful. Not to mention I'm a bit smarter than those guys." She retorted back, smirking a bit at her little jab to her friends. Well, her three friends and not so much friend.

Placing herself into a low to the ground running starting position, Winter made sure her hooded cape was clipped to her body and took a deep breathe, steadying her powers for her next move.

It was simple on paper. She was an ice user that could create ice and use it to her advantage. But that wasn't her only skill. Besides her ice craft, one other skill she was proud of creating was something she coined herself, Frost Step.

A strange power for an ice user to have, especially since it was a speedy move. Her body able to dash at a speed unlike Kid Flash, Winter could rush in any direction she faced, along with a large wind of ice and frost freezing whatever was in her direction and made her look almost invisible. It reminded her of how those myths of Jack Frost would appear during the cold season to freeze things or nipping people on the nose with ice.

The only downsides were that she couldn't control it and that she could always get caught using it. With slamming into walls or not being able to stop just right, it was the reason why she never used it.

But if she could aim this just right, she'd be able to freeze Brick right in his place.

She was ready in one...two...

 _'I hope this works.'_ Winter thought hesitantly.

"Three!" Taking off as fast as her legs could take her, Winter focused her mind on using her secondary power. Feeling her body begin to lower its temperature, the ice user could feel the temperature around her get colder and colder, small specks of frost appearing on her clothes. Just as planned.

Feeling her body dash faster than she could normally run, Winter steeled herself one more time before pushing past her breaking point and willed her body to dash forward. Feeling her body almost lift into the air, Winter watched behind her as frost coated the ground below her and snowflakes trailed in the air behind her as she rushed towards Brick, evidence of her power working. Eyes glued to her target, Winter was ready to collide with the smuggler and freeze him in his place...

That was until he moved.

 _'What?! But how!?'_ Winters' mind screamed, watching as the heavy body of Brick moved just a step to the side as she headed his way. How could he see her?! She was a blur when she was using this power. Nobody human could see her, not unless they had fast reflexes like Kid Flash or Superman. Her thoughts were still running rapidly while she watched herself speed past Brick, everything feeling like it was falling apart.

And it only got worse when she felt that tug.

"Think you can catch me off guard?" Brick exclaimed proudly, moving his hand out and grabbing onto Winters' cape, pulling it upwards into the air.

The motion tugging her throat in a painful manner, Winter didn't have much time to recover before she felt herself being pulled back for a split second and flung upwards into the air. Her hands trying to pull the cape away from her hurting throat, Winter watched as her body flew upwards and spotted her newfound position.

Up the air.

Enough momentum from the tug to fling her upwards at a high speed.

Brick was too busy being full of himself to think he could be stopped now.

Hastily reaching for the clip of her cape at the neckline, Winter unclipped her cape and felt her body fly upwards into the sky further, the momentum of Bricks' tug and flinging motion of her cape accommodating her plan.

Taking a few deep breathes to try and ignore the pain rushing in her head, Winter flipped her body in the air to move her body right-side-up and ready her next, and hopefully, final attack. Gripping her hands tight into fists and calling upon her powers more time knowing she'd hit her mark, Winter turned her gaze down to Brick, keeping her eyes on her target.

"What the heck?!" The cape he had gained a grip on suddenly feeling lighter than usual, Brick looked down to see it was no longer attached to the teen ice heroine. Looking back and forth for her, it wasn't until he decided to turn his head upwards that he finally spotted her in all of her young glory.

Her features illuminated in the pale light of the moon and ice crystals shining around her, the teenage ice heroine known as Winter had her gaze dead set on him. Hair as white as snow, irises lighter than any ice, and a glare that was colder than any blizzard he'd ever been in.

It literally looked like the cold darkness of mother nature was glaring right down at him.

Laughing at the strange position he seemed to be in, Brick raised his arms out, hooded cape still in his hand as he smirked at Winter from above. "C'mon! Hit me with your best shot kid."

"Plan on it!" Winter yelled back. Seeing Brick wasn't going to back out of her attack this time, Winter called upon her powers once more and dashed straight down, becoming a blur of white. Heading towards Brick as planned, Winter collided into the large smuggler, the impact creating a large explosion of rubble and dust to overtake the shipping docks.

Raising their arms up to cover their eyes from any dirt from the impact, Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Speedy lowered their arms to see the result o the attack.

The dust finally settling, the young heroes found themselves staring at Brick, his body frozen solid in a crystal prison of ice. His arms still outstretched from his previous claim, most of his entire body was encased in frozen water, that is except for his left hand which held Winters' cape.

Bent on the ground and keeping a hand planted to regain her breath, Winter sighed and got back up to her feet. Cleaning herself off of any debris, Winter turned to look back at the frozen Brick, lightly glaring at his frozen form as she reached for her cape and pulled it out of his unfrozen hand.

"And that's for bringing crime into my city." Winter proclaimed with pride, hooking her cape back on and beating off any unknowing dirt Brick could have gotten on it.

"Woohoo! That was awesome!" Kid Flash yelled, smiling at the cool display Brick had now become.

"And we get to do some cool stuff like that. Probably." Robin added, smiling to Speedy who was examining the newfound popsicle that Brick had become.

Nodding at Robins' attempts to try and persuade Speedy, Aqualad set his gaze on Speedy. "What is your answer? Would you like to join us?"

Looking back at Brick one more time, Speedys' eyes narrowed behind his mask, turning away from the scene and walking away from the group. "Pass."

Hands gripped tightly onto his bow, Speedy turned back to the four heroes. "I'm done letting Green Arrow and the League tell me what to do. I don't need a babysitter or a clubhouse hangout with the other kids. You're junior Justice League is a joke. Something to keep you busy _and in your place_."

Hearing the condescending tone in Speedys' voice at their offer, Winter could feel her teeth grinding and her hands tightening to fists despite the energy she lacked. This felt just like last time. Speedy was acting upon his emotions and fighting with them, going against the League.

Not that she didn't understand his reasons the last time, but he wasn't being lied to this time. This was an actual opportunity rather than something fake. He could make a difference on the team, really help out. Why was he just dismissing it all?! Especially after they were trying to be nice to him about it?

"Why do you have to be such a jerk?" Winter retorted back, anger flaring up in her voice, a glare pointed in Speedys' direction.

Eyes narrowing behind his mask the archer frowned in Winters' direction, her words catching his attention. "And what does that mean?"

"I'm talking about the way you're acting. We're...the guys are offering you a chance to be on the new team. To help the League and do some real good and be together. And what, you'll just deny it because you don't want to be ordered around by your mentor again?" Winter asked, walking over to stand in front of Speedy face to face.

Frowning at the verbal fighting scene going on, Kid Flash shifted his gaze to Robin and nudged the smaller boy. "Hey Rob, do we get out of here?"

"Not sure dude. I'm a little unsure what will happen if we move." Robin muttered, not sure whether he should leave or wait for Winter and Speedy to stop yelling.

Seeing his fellow comrades look unsure of what to do, Aqualad motioned Kid Flash and Robin to follow him. "Why don't we make sure our new prisoners are accounted for?"

"Good idea," Robin replied, following alongside Kid Flash to help Aqualad, leaving Winter and Speedy to continue by themselves.

"Yeah. I'm tired of being ordered around by some adults who think they know more than me and how I should go about helping and saving people. I'm tired of being lied to and being pushed to the side saying I'm not ready for something just because they think I can't handle it. I thought you wanted out of that life too." Speedy retorted, mirroring a glare back at Winter as he pushed.

"Not by cutting ties with everyone! I'm not going to kick everyone out of my life just to try and prove something. That's isn't the way to show you're ready to be part of the League Speedy." Winter pointed out, pushing her view on the issue.

Moving her hands to clasp on another, Winter spoke in a hushed yet calm tone, as if their conversation could be heard for miles. "I...I know what you're trying to say. I wanted to join just as much as you do. Maybe not as strongly as you, but you know I'll never give up on working my way there. I'm stubborn like that, from what Robin and Kid Flash tell me." Winter explained, the once defiant and confident ice princess now deflating into her more insecure self.

Speedy knew her. He had for a long time.

Ever since she'd been taken in by Ice Maiden and started at the young age of twelve, Speedy had been someone that she could trust. Meeting him after taking on her first mission and teaming up with Green Arrow to take on some bank thieves, they'd become what Samantha thought as friends.

They worked alongside one another like partners.

Gossiped about their mentors behind their backs for laughs.

Despite the two year age gap, the sidekicks were mature with one another and respected the other for their skill rather than their age.

Heck, Samantha was even able to help convince Speedy to make combination attacks with dorky names for only them to use, only proving how strong their bond together was if the mostly stoic archer was willing to be okay with something so silly.

So how could just one day ruin their friendship like this? Make it so hard to communicate between one another?

"Speedy," Samantha spoke up again, trying to find her voice. "I wasn't happy with what happened either, but I got around it by finding a way. My way, and now we're making a cool team to do recon missions and other things, even if it means working with the League. I'm still not sure if everything is okay after what happened, but our mentors realized their mistake and they're giving us a real chance now." Winter exclaimed with a shaky passion, hands curled up into fists beside her.

"We're finally being recognized by them, after all, we did weeks ago. Something you wouldn't know because you had to be a jerk and...y-you had to-"

Her voice ghosting away as her emotions escalated, Winter turned her back to Speedy and kept her gaze low, her eyes beginning to water a bit from the argument. She'd been sitting on all of these emotions since Speedy had left since he yelled at her. What was it she wanted to get off her chest?

She was angry that he had left in such a way days ago, never answering or coming back to explain what had happened. However, her heart had been ripped out and stopped on at the verbal lashing he gave her too. Of all the frustration and stress she'd felt throughout the years, whether it was from home or training to be a hero, nothing had hurt her more than the animosity she'd felt radiate from Speedy when he'd left.

So which was it? What did she want to tell him?

 _'No. I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to cry like some little girl. He needs to hear what he did wrong.'_ Samantha professed mentally, intending to keep her next words grounded and firm.

Raising her hand up to her face and quickly wiping away the evidence of her crying, Samantha took a deep breath, clenched and unclenched her hands at her sides, and turned back to focus her intensified crystal blue eyes into the masked eyes of Speedy.

"You hurt me Speedy, that day where everything was turned upside down. I know the League lied. They did to all of us, but you took it so personally and felt so much hate for them because of it that you said terrible things. Things I never thought I'd hear you say to anyone." Winter stated, keeping eye contact with Speedy. "Not even me."

"Winter, I-" Speedy finally spoke, hoping to get his piece.

" **No.** " Samantha firmly spoke with an authoritative voice. "You don't get to defend yourself right now. Not until I'm done talking."

His mouth hanging for a few seconds after hearing the younger sidekick suddenly take the conversation by the reigns, Speedy closed his mouth shut and stayed silent.

Surprised a little at Speedy's acceptance of the situation, Samantha kept ahold of her backbone and spoke up again, saying, "Speedy, I'm glad to know you've found out the path you wanted to take. Get away from the League, help people on your own, be your own boss and fight crime. Good for you that you get to wear your big boy pants and prove the Justice League wrong. " Winter listed off in an annoyed manner, resting a hand on her hip.

"Right now, all I care about is this. You don't get the right to call any of us out for the choices we made. Not Robin, not Aqualad, not Kid Flash, and certainly not me. We may be in a new situation where we work for the Justice League, but that certainly doesn't make us jokes. While you went off insulting the League, pushing your friends away, and insulting my resolve as a person before storming out, the rest of us grabbed our opportunity. We fought against experimental weapons, crazy scientists, and freed Superboy from Cadmus while escaping close death. We proved ourselves to the League that night by doing what we chose to do rather than let our emotions take control and push everything...and everyone away."

Her speech coming to its climax, Samantha gained a determined, yet angered glare on her face, walking step by step until standing face to face with Speedy, raising her head up to look at him in the eyes. "The only reason I came here tonight was because Brick was making trouble in my city and the guys wanted to convince you to join our team. I didn't want to see you, not since back at the Hall after everything you said. The things you _still_ haven't apologized for or taken back. So let that macho attitude take a back seat for a minute and listen to me loud a clear Roy." Samantha spoke, letting the use of his real name sink in to prove the severity of their conversation.

Raising her hand up and pointing her right index finger into Speedy's chest, a leer cold as any ice was sent to Speedy. "I don't care how much older you are or how much more experience you may think you have over me. I don't want you on the team. I won't accept letting someone who disregards their friends and team mates like the way you did just to make people feel bad about not agreeing with you. And I won't accept any person who calls out their friends for trying to help. Our team doesn't need someone selfish like that."

Taking her finger off his chest and stepping back, Winter turned around to head back with her team to the base. Giving a side glance to Speedy, Samantha's eyes narrowed and she frowned before turning her attention away from the archer and facing the sight of the moonlit water in the docks.

"I hope everything you did was worth it." Winter spat out with regret, the ice user taking a step forward and leaping upwards off the crate and fell downwards to the docks.

Alone in the spot where he and Winter had the first conversation together since their argument, Speedy couldn't help but notice the grip on his bow had increased significantly and a heavy feeling like lead had buried itself in the pit of his stomach before finally answering a response.

"...What have I done?"

* * *

 _ **-Mount Justice**_

 _ **July 18th, 10:47 A.M. EDT-**_

"Am I doing this right Winter? I'm still not exactly sure how you cook on Earth." Miss Martin spoke up, her arms covered a bit by flour and dough, her head turned back to get the ice users attention.

Standing at her own little countertop in the team's new base kitchen, Samantha, her snow white hair tied neatly into a ponytail, was scanning over a small slip of paper in her hand, her crystal blue eyes shifting from ingredient and cooking supplies before moving back to the slip of paper.

If Samantha had ever told her past self she'd be baking cookies with an alien from Mars, she was sure she would never have believed something so...farfetched. Or rather a bit specific, given the crazy things she saw in her line of work. But here she now was, apron neatly tied above her black blouse and blue jean shorts to keep them safe from any stray ingredients, standing in a brand new base made just for her and the other sidekicks, and now a part of the Justice League.

Well, that was still sort of debatable from what Batman explained.

 _'Now if only we could get a mission assigned already. It's been so long since we all got put on the team together, but nothing has happened yet.'_ Samantha mused within her mind, scanning over the necessary directions to ignore slowly resurfacing memories.

" _ **You're junior Justice League is a joke."**_

" _ **Why do you have to be such a jerk?"**_

No, she was not going to go back to that again. It had been eating at her for the past couple of nights since that argument had come up with her and Speedy and she was standing by what she said and not backing out of it. Speedy had been wrong to say their group was a joke.

He'd been wrong to make fun of her and the others for still working with the League.

And he was wrong for not apologizing to her.

This new team the group had made was going to work out in the end and become the hero team they'd wanted since that day at the Hall. But that wasn't going to come to fruition if a mission hadn't been assigned-

"Winter?"

"Huh?" Samantha answered back, the sudden familiar sound of her hero name being called snapping the girl out of her thoughts and looking up to the green-skinned girl. Scolding herself mentally for being distracted and ignoring her new team mate, Samantha shook her head and looked to the martian. "I-I'm sorry Miss Martian. I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

Smiling, Miss Martian pointed to the dough messily squished and kneaded on the floured counter. "I wanted your opinion on this. I'm still new to the whole cooking on Earth thing, so I wanted to make sure I was doing all of the instructions correctly."

"Oh yeah, sure. I can take a look." Walking over to the counter and giving the dough an inquisitive look in inspection, Samantha smiled and gave her nod of approval. "Yeah, everything looks right to me. Given I'm not an actual cook or master at the art of baking, but I don't see it moving on its own, so it should be okay to use. When you're ready you can start pulling apart the dough to make pieces for cookies and place them on the spare tray over there next to mine." Samantha instructed, casually moving an index finger to point towards her own tray of cookie dough ready to be backed.

Shoulders relaxing at the critique, Miss Martian breathed a sigh of relief and smiled even wider, if that was possible. "Thank goodness. I was worried I was messing this up. I really wanted to get this right. After all, I'm sure the rest of the team is hungry from the long wait."

Shrugging her shoulders, Samantha nodded and looked back at the paper in her hands. "You're doing just fine. Picking this up a lot faster than I did when I first baked, that's for sure. But I'm curious, what recipe are you following? I'm making chocolate-chip, but I've never seen this kind of recipe you're using before. Did Martian Manhunter give it to you?"

Working on the dough she had just finished, Miss Martian's body jumped a little at the question, her hand squeezing a piece of dough in her hand to mush. "Um...N-Nowhere special. I just found it on the internet and wanted to try it out. I thought it would make this more fun by trying something different and surprise the others."

Eyebrow raised at the hesitant look on the martian's face, Samantha smiled to calm the alien girl. "Well let's hope we have enough. I'm pretty sure Kid Flash is going to eat a whole tray on his own. He can have yours. I'm sure he'd be happy to have them." Samantha commented, rolling her eyes at the thought of Wally trying to stuff a tray of cookies down his mouth.

 _'He's probably going to do that. I better make sure he doesn't eat all of them or there won't be any left for the others.'_

Cleaning up the leftover dough she had procured and continued her work to place pieces neatly on her tray, Miss Martian brought up another topic of interest. "So, since I'm on the team is there anything I should know? Like a secret password or anything that may help the team work together?"

Placing the directions down on the counter and heading towards the oven to start preheating it, Samantha shook her head at Miss Martian's inquiry. "There's nothing for you to worry about. If we had a secret password, Kid Flash blabbed about it a long time ago by now. And about helping to team work together, well I'd say just be yourself. You don't have to do anything special for us just because you're new. Just do your best to work on the team together and give it your all on missions. That's what you can do to help."

Pressing the final button and watching the oven light up inside with a heated orange glow, Samantha smiled proudly to herself before moving her face away from the oven door window and looked to Miss Martian's work. "And the oven is done. Your cookies almost ready?"

"Just about." Miss Martian answered back, placing the last piece of dough on the tray and raising it up off the counter with her telekinesis. Casually moving the tray through the air, the martian let the metal sheet fly to the oven before focusing her powers to open the oven door and pick up Samantha's own tray. A quick succession of moves with the ease of her mind, the two heroines watched the trays fly themselves right into the heated oven before the door closed behind them, signaling their work was done.

Her blue eyes still staring back at the oven from the display she had witnessed, Samantha looked back over to Miss Martian and chuckled. "I'm going to have to get used to that. But again, it's good to have you on the team, Miss Martian. I'm sure you're going to do an awesome job here with the rest of us."

Feeling her cheeks warm up a little from the praise she was receiving, Miss Martian smiled back and nodded. "T-Thank you. I promise I'll do the best I can. That is once we go on a mission. When exactly are we getting one by the way?"

"A mission?" Samantha repeated the question, hearing the martian girl's inquiry. Rummaging through her mind for an answer, Samantha felt two and two click together and hummed. "Batman is the one who is supposed to send us on missions, but I think he's been busy with League matters so far. That's why Robin and Kid Flash have been waiting around for Red Tornado."

Grabbing the many dirty utensils the girls had used, Miss Martian listened to the tidbits of information Winter was giving her, remembering some of the details from a week ago. "So, since Batman is too busy to give us a mission like he promised, Robin and Kid Flash think Red Tornado will when he gets back?"

Ready to answer back to whatever the alien was going to reply back with, Samantha frowned a bit and thought over just what exactly Miss Martian had posed.

Now that she heard the idea out loud, it really sounded sort of desperate. But what were they going to do? They'd wanted this for so long and there was no way they were going to sit around and wait again like before.

Everything was going to be different starting today. Samantha could feel it.

Shrugging her shoulders, Samantha lazily moved her head side to side to muse over the martian's question. "Yeeeaah. Pretty much. I think that's what everyone is thinking, at least a little. I can't read minds, so that's just my guess from my own perspective."

"Did you want me to see if that's what they're thinking?" Miss Martian asked casually, smiling to the ice user.

A bit taken aback by the casual question, Samantha blinked a few times at Miss Martian, trying to register the offer she gave. "W-What? You can do that?"

Nodding, Miss Martian spoke again. "Of course. My Uncle J'onn and I are both Martians, so we share the same powers. If you'd like I can read everyone's mind to find out if they-"

"That's probably not a good idea," Samantha spoke up, cutting off the alien teen.

Frowning at the fast reply, Miss Martian spoke up, her voice coming out a bit softer. "I don't understand. We talk telepathically all the time back on-"

"Hey! Red Tornado's back!" Robin's voice yelled through the hallway, stopping Miss Martian from finishing her sentence.

Turning her head to look down the hall the boy wonder had notified them, Samantha looked back to the still confused martian and gave a reluctant smile. "I'll explain it later. Let's just say for now that a lot of people on Earth prefer their privacy.

C'mon. We better hurry outside to greet Red Tornado back." Motioning Miss Martian to follow after her, the two young girls ran and flew down the hallway towards the opened hatch leading outside the base.

Heading up the ramp and taking a few steps to slow down, Winter took a moment to squint her eyes slightly to adjust her eyes to the sudden rays of the sun, stopping next to Superboy and Kid Flash. "Does anybody have an update on that mission we're thinking he's going to give us?"

"I'm sure the metal man has something up his sleeve. Tube arm thing." Kid Flash spoke, correcting himself every few seconds. His eyes scanning the sky for the red hero, Kid Flash waved his arm to signal the robot of their presence. "Hey, Red Tornado!"

Gusts of wind increasing with each inch of descent to the ground, Red Tornado in his flurry of red gales carefully placed himself on the ground below, landing perfectly in front of the group of teens looking expectantly. With no bone structure to show any signs of facial expression, the lone cut holes of his eyes and simple straight line of what appeared to be a mouth were they only cosmetic features that gave the robot any sort of emotion to go by.

Samantha still was not exactly sure as to why Red Tornado had volunteered to watch their group. Or rather babysit. Not that she was questioning a senior member's orders or choices, but the idea of a robot having the responsibility to watch a bunch of super powered teenagers, it seemed pretty weird to her. Especially since the hero had no emotional capacity.

At least from what she'd heard or seen.

"Greetings," The metallic voice of Red Tornado spoke out to the group, his face blankly staring to the teens. "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?"

 _'He gets to the point, that's for sure.'_ Samantha thought, her blue eyes gazing to the literal cold, steel emotionless face of the veteran hero.

Taking a step forward to speak for the group Aqualad gave a respectful reply. "We hoped you had a mission for us."

"Mission assignment are the Batman's responsibility." Red Tornado plainly responded, giving the group an answer right off the bat.

Feeling anger at the long wait bubbling up, Robin adjusted his sunglasses and argued back."But its been a week and-"

Raising a metal hand to signal the detective to calm down, Red Tornado spoke up to iterate his point. "You will be tested soon enough. For the time being simply enjoy each other's company."

Hearing Red Tornado circle back their argument, Samantha raised an eyebrow and raised a hand up to get the hero's attention. "And as great as that sounds, we've sort of been doing that for the past week. We can't just talk and sit around forever. We've done enough of that as it is."

"This team is not a social club." Aqualad added, his voice projecting a calm yet aggravated tone.

"No, but I am told social interaction is an important team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." Red Tornado suggested, his metallic legs slowly moving to make his way down into the cave's entrance.

Seeing the hero walk off, Kid Flash looked over to Robin and lightly jabbed at the younger teen's arm to get his attention. "Keep busy."

Sharing the same disdain for the situation and remembering to Speedy's words just the night before, Robin shook his head and turned to look at the group. "Does he really think we're falling for this?"

"He probably does. But it's not like we can just ask him any more questions. He'll just stonewall us again." Winter replied, irritation creeping onto his face, lightly glaring at the ground and crossing her arms over her chest.

Perking up at the sight of her team mates opposition of Red Tornado's instructions, Miss Martian raised her arms up energetically and smiled. "Oh, I'll find out!" Turning around to face the direction Red Tornado was heading, Miss Martian activated her telepathic abilities and pushed them towards her target. Careful to not look too obvious, the martian slowly began to sink her powers into the form of Red Tornado, hoping to get some sort of response.

Unfortunately, no sound, words, or thoughts seemed to appear in her own mind. Knowing the silence was obvious after thinking it over, Miss Martian shut down her powers and sighed in defeat. "I-I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine. Inorganic. I..cannot read his mind."

Moving over to stand next to Miss Martian, Kid Flash gave a reassuring smile. "Nice try, though." After giving his own two cents on her effort, Kid Flash non-nonchalantly placed his hands in his pockets and moved a bit closer to the female martian, a smile on his face as he spoke in a smooth tone. "So uhh...you know what I'm thinking right now?"

The tension in the air subsiding at the sound of Kid Flash's usual flirting tone, Robin lightly whacked the red-head on the back of his head to snap the boy back into reality. "Pfft, we all know what _you're_ thinking now."

"Ow! You didn't have to hit so hard." The speedster spoke back, rubbing his slightly sore head.

"Would you have remembered the rest of us were here if he hadn't?" Winter spoke up, a light drop of sarcastic wit dropping into her tone. While she was still annoyed over the situation they were now stuck in, the least Samantha could do was try to be more upbeat. If she delved anymore into what Speedy said and the situation she was in, she was going to add way too much gloom to this team.

 _'And that means pushing all of this Roy gloom and doom business to the side. I don't have to worry about what he said. Just focus on myself and my work. Not what he thinks. And that means having a little fun with me new team mates.'_ Samantha lectured mentally, letting herself ease into a relaxed position and smile.

Standing off to the side and taking in the events that had transpired, Aqualad stared down at the ground for a moment before looking back up to the group. "And now we tour the clubhouse." He replied, a defeated, yet still angered tone coming off his words.

Taking this moment to try and ease the worries of her new team mates, Miss Martian smiled and raised her hand. "Well, Superboy and I live here. We can play tour guides."

Seeing Miss Martian was trying to bring out the good in their new situation, Winter smiled a bit and like the other teens and turned their attention to Superboy who hadn't actually said much since the Red Tornado fiasco.

It wasn't until Superboy had noticed all of the pairs of eyes on him that he finally spoke up, a look of nervousness she'd never seen before on his face. "Don't look at me."

"I don't see the problem. You look fine to me." Samantha chimed in without hesitation, her eyes resting a soft gaze onto Superboy.

Like a car screeching to a quick halt, Samantha's mind sling-shot back to being its more rational self, picking up what she'd just said.

 _'Wait, did I just say that out loud?'_ Samantha thought, feeling her face heat up from the lack of control of her own inner thoughts. At first, she had wanted to just say something encouraging to Superboy, help him relax at the stares of his newfound team mates. After all, they'd all be working together, so there was no need to be nervous. He was in the company of friends.

But then for some reason, her mind wandered off in those few split seconds. Her eyes had been on him and for some reason, she'd taken notice of his newfound clothes she'd helped to buy for him. How nice he looked in them. The way they showed off how tall he was and his musc-

 _'Wow wow wow! Bad teenage hormones! Stop making me think those things! Just because he may look nice in some clothes and you've been getting along with him doesn't mean you can look at him like that. He's barely had time to experience life on his own or have any experience in relationships. You're going to be working together. It's wrong...right?'_

Not to mention that everyone seeing her look at Superboy the way she had ought to be something awkward. For all she knew they were guessing why she'd spoken the way she did. And now that she'd thought of it, couldn't miss Martian read...

Oh God, what had she done? Had Miss Martian heard all her thoughts? Was she still listening in?

Wanting to quickly catch her slip of the tongue, Samantha coughed in her hand to try and clear her throat, hoping to keep the blush that starkly contrasted with her white hair at bay. "Uhh...W-What I meant to say was-"

Holding in a snort at the poor attempt of catching her slip up, Kid Flash smirked and moved back to stand near Miss Martian. "Well, while Winter here talks about how she likes looking at Supey,"

"I did not say that!"

Ignoring Winter's remark, the speedster continued. "We can continue that private tour you were talking about."

"Hey, she didn't say it was private." Robin piped in, his eyebrow raised in a knowing look to his longtime friend.

"Well make it team building," Aqualad added, keeping a neutral tone while everyone spoke their own points to the idea. "We'll all go."

The group for a while staying quiet, each one gave an understanding nod of approval, agreeing to the suggestion posed by Aqualad.

"Alright then. If you'll follow me then, we can start this tour guide." Miss Martian joyfully spoke, smiling to everyone and motioning them to follow her back into the cave.

"Aw man. I wanted that private tour." Kid Flash mumbled, pouting a little while he walked inside.

"You've got time to try and woo her later Mr. playboy." Robin joked, following alongside Kid and Aqualad.

One of the last to follow yet again, Superboy stopped for a moment and turned back around, noticing the form of Winter standing off where the group had been before. Seeing she hadn't noticed them all leave, Superboy called out to her. "You coming?"

Her mind still lost in a spiral of shame from her teenage hormones, Samantha jolted in attention when she heard Superboy call to her. Trying to remedy the imbalance inside her, Samantha coughed again to try and compose herself and nodded. "Y-Yeah. I'm coming."

Catching up to the rest of the group and heading to the tour with Superboy, Samantha looked up to look over at Superboy in the corner of her eye. Thoughts rushing back to her slip up, her gaze shifted back in front of her, and the blush she'd taken so much time to get rid of bloomed like a flower on her face again.

If this was her only chance to clear up the misunderstanding she'd made before, she had to take it. Who knew what Superboy was thinking about her. But she'd never been great with giving guys compliments. Or at least to guys she thinks she liked more than a friend. This was a new territory and she had to play it cool.

No pun intended.

Mustering up what little courage was in the pit of her stomach, Samantha looked up to Superboy, her hands clenched into nervous fists to her chest. "Umm...Y-Your clothes look good. On you, I mean."

His eyes looking over to Winter as they walked, Superboy showed a look of what appeared to be shocked, not sure how to take the random compliment. "Thanks?"

Smiling a bit to calm her nerves, Samantha continued her conversation, letting her mind produce her next words without much thought. "N-No problem. I mean I don't see why they wouldn't look good on you. Not that you'd look bad without them on. You'd look great without them on."

"What?" Superboy inquired, a puzzled expression taking his features as he looked over at the white-haired heroine.

 _'You idiot! You were in the clear before you screwed up again!'_

"Uhh...N-Never mind. Just ignore whatever I say for the rest of the tour." Samantha answered back, sighing in defeat and deciding it be best to keep her hormone controlled mouth shut before she further dug herself into a hole.

* * *

 **-30 Minutes Later-**

"I've got to say that was the best tour I've ever had." Kid Flash complimented, leaning his body on the metal railing of the cave's hanger.

"I'm sure that's the only tour you've ever been so quiet." Winter muttered back from the back of the group, eyeing the speedster who was standing next to Miss Martian.

The group now finished off with most of the tour, they'd all taken a small break at the cave's hanger area, looking out at the docking area and space that future vehicles for their missions would. At least that was the hope of all the teens.

"I can attest to that. I'm surprised his voice isn't echoing throughout the entire mountain from all the talking he does." Robin joked, laughing a bit at his own joke.

Eyes scanning over the newfound hanger bay, Superboy placed his hands in his pockets and spoke up. "If this place is so big, why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?"

"The cave's secret location was...compromised," Aqualad answered cooly.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap?" Superboy retorted back, scoffing at the comparison. "Heh, yeah. That makes sense."

Taking note of everyone's explanation of the cave's origin and compromise Miss Martian frowned and placed a hand on his chin, thinking over each piece of information. "But if the villains know about the cave, we must be on constant alert." She surmised, a small bit of fear appearing on her face.

Taking this moment to try and get his own moment with Miss Martian, Robin stepped in and took Miss Martian by the hand in a semi-suave gesture. "The bad guys know that we know about the place, so they'll never think to look here."

"What he means," Kid Flash poked in, moving Robin's hands off of Miss Martian's to break the hand contact, "Is that we're hiding in plain sight."

"Oh." The female martian spoke, rubbing a hand through her red hair in thought. "Ah. That's much clearer."

As a quiet lull began to fill the hanger, it was the sniffing sounds from Superboy that brought up another sort of...situation. Careful to smell the air for whatever the strange smell was, Superboy frowned and looked to the group. "I smell smoke."

A look of doubt crossing her face, Winter shook her head. "Smoke? What could possibleeaaahhhh! Our cookies!" The ice user yelled in response, her memory slowly reminding her of the baked goods she and Miss Martian had made earlier. That had to be what Superboy was smelling. "No no no no no no no no no no no!" The girl muttered to herself taking off down the nearest hallway she could remember that lead to the kitchen area, leaving the group behind.

"W-Wait for me!" Miss Martian called from behind, flying off and following Winter in hopes of saving her own baked delights.

Making her way into the familiar denizen of the kitchen, Samantha quickly chilled her hands with frost to keep them cool and pulled the first oven open to check her own cookies. Smoke bellowing out of the kitchen appliance, Samantha could already feel her heart squeeze in worry at the cloudy sight she was seeing. Or rather not seeing.

Grabbing onto the tray with her icy hands, Samantha pulled the tray out into the light and felt her heart, like the cookies on her tray, crumble to dust at the sight. The dough, once a pristine light brown and dotted with the most delicious of chocolate chips had now been baked into oblivion. Now round like any normal cookie, the color was completely baked into an extremely dark brown and the chocolate chips now burned so much that the flavor was surely gone.

Letting the tray drop onto the counter, Samantha groaned and placed her head on the countertop next to it, letting her arms lean onto the countertop around her. "Why the cookies? They didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm guessing yours didn't come out well either?" The kind voice of Miss Martian wondered, pulling out her own tray with the help of her telekinesis. Her venture had turned out even worse than Winter's, the cookies hardened like rocks and so black that any semblance of flavor had been baked out long before. "How are we going to serve these now?"

"Serve what?" Aqualad asked, walking into the kitchen with the rest of the guys. Swatting smoke out of the air of the kitchen, the Atlantean took notice to the two trays of mostly destroyed cookies. "I am guessing these were the source of the smoke."

Kid Flash heading into the kitchen to check out the supposed cookies the girls had made, the redhead's smile slowly drifted into a frown at the sight of the ruined goods. "Wow! You guys really-"

Taking notice to the other's entrance, Samantha lifted her head up and turned her eyes to Kid Flash, giving a silent yet deadly glare in his direction. "What?"

Feeling his run a cold at the glare, Kid Flash shut his mouth for a moment and quickly moved his gaze off to the wall, trying to avoid the ice user's stare. "R-Really did a good job! And you made enough for all of us." Using his super speed to hastily move around the ice user, Kid Flash halted to the other side of the table and gave a thumbs up to Miss Martian. "They look delicious beautiful."

"Ooh, nice save." Robin commented, smiling at the close call his friend nearly caught himself in with his fast mouth.

"This is what you guys freaked out about?" Superboy asked, still trying to ignore the smell of smoke invading his senses.

"You don't have to say it so plainly." Samantha commented from her laying position on the countertop. "I don't get to cook much back at my house as it is, so Miss Martian and I thought it would be fun to cook something for us to have together. But, most of them didn't make it." She explained, inspecting a few that seemed to have survived a little better than most.

"I'm sure they would have all tasted great. He doesn't seem to mind." Robin commented, motioning the two girls to look over the other side of the room where the speedster was hoarding the burned up cookies Miss Martian had made.

Stuffing two more cookies into his mouth, Kid Flash looked up and noticed the eyes of the others on him and chewed his contents before swallowing, a grin showing up on his face. "I have a serious metabolism?"

Taking the silly action as a kind gesture from the speedster, Miss Martian felt her lips curve into a smile. "I'll...make more."

"It was sweet of you both to make any at all." Aqualad commented, turning his gaze to both Miss Martian and Winter.

"It's no big deal. We just thought it would help relax everyone." Samantha responded, lifting her head off the counter and moving back to lean on the counter behind her next to Superboy.

"It's just like Winter said. So, thank you Aqualad." Miss Martian replied, letting her hesitation melt away.

"We're off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur." The Atlantean greeted, smiling to ease the martian's worry.

Finishing another cookie in his hand, Kid Flash swallowed the bits in his mouth and leaned his chin into the palm of his hand, speaking in a suave tone. "I'm Wally. See I already trust you with my secret I.D., Unlike Mr. dark glasses. Batman's forbidden boy wonder from telling anyone his name." Wally explained, jabbing his thumb to point to a scowling Robin.

"What about Winter? She still looks the same way she does when she's fighting." Miss Martian asked, curious to why the white-haired girl hadn't introduced herself yet.

Deciding to take the initiative on this part, Winter rubbed her neck. "My dad wants me to keep my hero identity and my real life I.D. secret too, so I have to keep my powers active to change my features. It's not too bad, though. Superboy at least knows my identity, so it isn't fully a secret." She concluded, shrugging her shoulders as if trying to make sense of what she'd just said.

"What? Why does he get to be the only one to know?" Kid Flash complained, looking over to the super teen standing in the corner.

Rolling her eyes, Winter shook her head. "Because he stayed at my house duh. He was going to find out at some point. I've already asked him not to tell anybody, so don't think you can try to ask him, Wally."

Taking that moment to chime in, Superboy simply nodded with the same bored expression on his face. "What she said."

"Well, my name's no secret." Miss Martian added, smiling at the fun interaction the group was having. "I'm M'gann M'orzz, but you can call me Megan." The alien said, placing a hand on the cool countertop to stabilize the excitement she was feeling. "It's an Earth name. And I'm on Earth now."

 _'At least she feels like she's fitting in here. That's good.'_ Samantha mused, letting her eyes wander to everyone in the room who conversed about themselves. From M'gann's excited face, Wally's obvious flirting eyes, the hidden gaze of Robin and his usual smirk, and Aqualad's mature yet sociable demeanor, it seemed like everyone was getting along despite the previous setback they'd had that morning.

That was until her light eyes landed on the boy next to her, the still stoic and silent force that was Superboy.

His gaze still unfocused on something else in the room, a stern frown on his face, and arms crossed over his chest, it looked like the boy was almost ignoring what was going on around him. Or that's what she thought until the ice user noticed his gaze move downward to the floor, eyes focused and unfocused with each word spoken from the others. He was listening, but why wasn't he having fun like everyone else?

"Superboy?" Samantha whispered quietly, trying to get the taller boy's attention.

It seemed like it had worked, for just a moment, as the eyes of Superboy moved to look at her in the corner of his eyes. However just as soon as they looked at her, they moved back to avoid her own. Not sure how to take the reaction, Samantha didn't notice Superboy slowly make his way out of the kitchen, heading towards the closest exit to get away from the conversation the group was having.

 _'Do I go after him?'_ Samantha thought, finally taking notice to the retreating form of Superboy. Was it the right thing to do? Go after him to ask what was wrong? Or did he want time alone to think? Why was he leaving in the first place? Was it something the group was talking about.

For a moment Samantha simply lets her actions speak for themselves, slowly moving off her leaning position on the corner of the counter to ready herself in case she did decide to follow Superboy. However, just as she was about to start heading after him to check up on him...

Did he turn around suddenly?

A look of confusion, as if somebody was yelling or talking to him appeared on his face. Samantha wasn't sure what was going on, but when she took notice of his eyes and where they were staring, she followed his line of sight and saw he was looking at Miss Martian. What was going-

"Get out of my head!" Superboy roared in a loud voice, breaking the silence that had filled from the group's latest conversation.

Jumping a bit at the sudden outburst, Samantha turned her head to look at the angry looking super clone in confusion, until turning her eyes back onto Miss Martian. From what Superboy had just yelled and from the way he'd looked at Miss Martian just a moment ago, had she...No. She couldn't have, could she?

 _ **'What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically.''**_ The voice of M'gann asked, her voice somehow ringing in Samantha's own head. Moving a hand to grip her skull suddenly, the ice user groaned tiredly as she tried to control the sudden confusion and pain she felt ringing in her mind.

"M'gann, stop!" Aqualad commanded, his voice booming over the quiet voice Miss Martian, causing the alien to halt her telepathy. Letting the situation cool down for a moment, Aqualad spoke again, keeping a neutral yet lecturing tone. "Things are different here on Earth. Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy."

"I...I'm sorry." Miss Martian apologized, a wave of guilt washing over her body. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Winter said that my telepathy probably wasn't a good idea to use. I just forgot. Honest."

"Don't worry about it beautiful. Accidents happen, but just be careful not to do it again. Cadmus's creepy little psychic G-Gnomes left a bad taste in his brain." Kid Flash pointed out, moving a hand to make it seem like he was whispering to Miss Martian, casually pointing to Superboy.

Watching the poor excuse Wally was doing in being a bit more careful to Superboy's feelings, Winter lightly swatted away Wally's hand. "Don't be insensitive Wally." Watching the Speedster rub at his stinging hand, Samantha walked over to the still angry Superboy. Perhaps if she tried to talk to him, he'd calm down? Listen to reason?

Moving a hand to rest calmly on his shoulder, Samantha spoke carefully to ease the teen's anger. "Superboy, just relax. She didn't mean to-"

"Don't touch me!" Superboy yelled, recoiling at the ice user's touch. Stepping back from Winter, Superboy just continued to glare, his anger still evident from the look on his face. Only this time, it was directed at both M'gann and herself.

 _'Why? Why did he just yell at me? I was only trying to help.'_ Samantha thought, her fingers clenching into a fist close to her chest at the sudden glare of Superboy's eyes on her. The last time she'd seen anger like that on his face was when he was fighting back at Cadmus against enemies chasing after them.

As strange and as sad as it made her feel, the anger she witnessed reminded her of Roy. The way Superboy glared at her, pushed her away, yelling at her to back off. It felt similar to how Speedy had yelled at her for not taking his side at the Hall, pushing her away for the choice she'd made and supposedly making a mistake.

Of all the times to be reminded of those memories, why did it have to be now? Would every chance to try and do the right thing only blow up in her face?

Unsure of how to respond, if she even could, Samantha just frowned while her shocked eyes stayed locked onto Superboy.

"And you," Superboy exclaimed, shifting his gaze from Samantha to M'gann. "Just stay out!" The super clone stated harshly, turning around to walk out of the kitchen and take a seat on the couch away from the others.

The entire outburst breaking what little peace the group had found with each other, none of the teens tried to utter anything, letting silence slowly fill the room to avoid the awkward situation.

"Hello, Megan!" Miss Martian suddenly called out, lightly tapping her head to brighten up the situation. Smiling to the rest of the team mates still in the kitchen, the martian motioned them to follow her. "I know what we can do." Taking the opportunity to float off the ground, the martian flew off down the closest hallway, letting her team mates follow her lead.

The boys still a bit confused and a bit unsure of what had just happened, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash quietly filed out of the kitchen and followed the martian girl down the hall to whatever it was she wanted to show them.

Unlike the others, Winter still stood quietly on her own in the kitchen, her mind still trying to go over what had happened. Everything was going so well, she thought. No problems had come around except for the issue with getting a mission, but the team just talked and had fun like normal kids to remedy that situation.

And now all of a sudden it felt like everything had step back.

How had it gotten so bad so quickly? She was just trying to help Superboy, explain the situation to calm him down and make it better for Miss Martian. But just from that act alone, she became an object to direct Superboy's anger at. Had he really meant what he said to her or was it just talk? A reaction from his invasion of privacy at the telepathic hands of M'gann's slip up?

 _'I...I need to go with the others.'_ Samantha thought to herself, trying to keep her emotions calm from Superboy's outburst. If she wasn't focused enough, her powers were gong to get hectic in their base.

Her small hands clenching tightly into fists at her sides, the ice user shifted her gaze over to Superboy who was keeping his head turned away to stare at the wall, letting his body hunch in his seat.

 _'Would it be a bad idea to approach him? He still looks angry but...He's still a part of this team. There has to be some way to fix this.'_ Samantha concluded while gazing at Superboy from afar. Slowly letting her body adjust itself to relax a bit and take a few steps out of the kitchen, Samantha stepped past the threshold and headed towards the hallway before stopping in the living room.

Looking over to the quiet boy, Samantha spoke in a hushed, yet sincere tone. "Superboy? Please come with us. She...M'gann didn't mean to do what she did. Trust me, okay?"

Not taking any time to turn around to look at her, Superboy kept his reaction hidden and only clenched his hands further into fists in his lap. "Stop butting into my business." He spoke harshly, yet this time it sounded a bit quieter than the last time he'd spoken. Gritting his teeth and pushing the waves of anger in his system, Superboy sighed in defeat. "Just...leave me alone."

Her eyes widening at just the simple words Superboy spoke to her, the ice user felt like she'd just been punched in the chest. All the time she'd spent with him had been so much fun. Helping him understand the outside world, having someone to talk to, someone she could have real conversations with.

She'd been so used to being considered a friend to Superboy and helping him that now when she was in a situation where he was against her, angry with her...it hurt.

No, it crushed her.

 _'Maybe...this is just one of those things I can't fix on the spot.'_ The heroine surmised, feeling her stomach drop at the thought. If that was the answer, Samantha needed to take a step back from all of this. At least for the time being, think about herself before thinking about Superboy.

"Fine." Samantha finally answered back, her tone not taking any angry or harsh emotion. Instead, it sounded more tired, frustrated. "I was just trying to help. Go ahead and be angry for all I care." And with that said, Samantha quietly made her way out of the living room, walking down the hallway to leave the super clone to his brooding.

Their first day as an official team had begun, and yet already it was blowing up in their faces.

* * *

Heh. Welcome to Happy Harbor? More like welcome to...not happy harbor?

That was supposed to be a lot funnier than that. But who cares? I finally got a new chapter posted! Wanted this to be the full mission, but I guess it'll have to be a two-parter again. And a good reason to do so too. There seems to be too much drama going on to try and push it all into one huge chapter, that's for sure. So let's hope some things gets resolved and people can forgive one another.

Please remember to review. Any comments whether it is just how you liked a moment in the chapter to creative criticism, anything is okay. Reviews help the writing process more, so the more I get the faster I may get chapters out. XD

And to help you give reviews here are some questions to think about and answer. If you'd like, of course.

 _How do you think Speedy and Winter's relationship is going to go from here? Should Winter forgive him or is he in the wrong?_

 _Should Winter try to be more open about her feelings with Superboy? Or try to keep them hidden for the sake of letting Superboy learn on his own?_

 _Was it wrong of Superboy to lash out at Winter for trying to help? Or should Winter have stayed out of the conflict?_

 _Which word do you like more? Peppermint or Valentine? (This is important. Please answer honestly.) ;3_

Until next chapter, stay cool.

Next Chapter: Welcome to Happy Harbor Pt. 2


	8. Welcome to Happy Harbor Pt 2

Yay, new chapter! Hi, everyone! Hope your days/weeks are going well. I'm still trudging through the tough battle of a full-time college student. Loads of fun. XP

I'm pretty happy, though. My followers for this story has actually gotten past 50! I couldn't believe it at first since I haven't written too much actiony content yet, but here we are. Thank you for being so kind to follow my work. I know it takes a bit for me to get out to all of you and sometimes it isn't up to par than some other writers, but I do really appreciate the follows and favorites you guys tag for my story.

I'll try my best to bring out more content as fast as I can, as well as work to better my writing. It's a little tough with all the homework and things I'm balancing, but I'd love to make this story my best work and keep it going.

Oh, and once again if you can, please post a review to tell me any criticism or such you think should be worked on. I also still need some answers to which word you like more. Peppermint or Valentine?

Totes important. Really. ;3

Well, without further ado, let's get this next chapter started!

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice. It's owned by DC, but I do wish I could add some stuff to it. TAT

* * *

Perfection _._

It was a word that Samantha Freya, not Winter, knew all too well.

It was the epitome of what a human being could become, achieve, set out and accomplish. Perfection allowed people to look up to you, see you as someone that could be trusted, mimicked, admired.

Her father expected that of her ever since she was young. To be perfect. Become an expert in whatever subject she was studying, strive to be the best in her fencing lessons, hold herself high as the perfect daughter of Nikolai and Aiko Freya, a girl who could climb higher than those before her with just as kind a heart. It was hard trying to become something so unobtainable, so abstract.

But she tried, even if she knew she could not attain it easily, and unfortunately for others who knew her like her mentor or Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad, it meant she expected things to go a certain way.

She planned out everything in her mind, how an event would unravel itself, the right thing to do or say, how a certain movement or placement of something should make someone react, and how specific efforts and meticulous planning would help overall and successfully work in her favor. From party outfits for her father's functions, patterns of attack during hero work, and ways to impress her father. She always thought of the longterm goals, rather than thinking in the moment.

Everything was planned in advance, and sadly, this was why Samantha felt like her heart and confidence was crushed.

It was naive to think that their first day as a team was going to go off without a hitch. She'd planned out everything the night before, laying out the details of making cookies for the group to enjoy, talking with one another about their work as heroes to bond, and surely by the end of the day or sooner be given a mission from Batman.

None of it panned out, though, just like all the other times she ever tried to plan ahead. It was both a strength and weakness of hers.

The mission she thought the group was going to go on? Batman hadn't even shown up or said a word.

The cookies she and Miss Martian had baked for a fun ice breaker for the team? Burned to a crisp and inedible. Well, for most. Wally was still Wally, and he'd eat the cookies both for his stomach and for his new crush.

And the bonding? That had gone badly. While all of them begrudgingly had accepted that a mission wouldn't be handed to them, the group had decided to continue a tour of their new base and chat amongst one another for a time. Everything seemed to be going well, that is until Miss Martian had made an honest mistake that had made Superboy explode at the new girl.

And her.

That was the worst part out of all of this. Not the mission, not the cookies, not even the awkward spouts of nonsense she'd said to Superboy during the day. It was not realizing how stupid she was to think she could control everything in advance.

It was naïve to think everything would just fall into place with enough effort. Go well without a hitch. She may have been smart and meticulous when planning out how to use her time and effort to get something done, but Samantha never took into account how things could sporadically change on the fly. Life wasn't some business plan or society dinner she could work out in advance in her favor. And neither was this team or their emotions.

That moment, that one moment where she had to choose whether to try and calm Superboy down or simply let things go their course and work themselves out. It was better to simply let Superboy cool down, let his anger drift away for a while before confronting him, help him understand that anger wasn't always the answer. She had done the opposite, though, her overthinking mind believing that if she stepped in and talked to him, just because she'd spent the most time with him and he knew her, he'd calm down, relax, and realize that his anger at Miss Martian was a mistake.

She tried to plan ahead, thinking her influence would help calm the Superboy down, but it backfired so badly.

He had pushed her away, yelled at her to not get near him. And even after when the whole event had simmered down, when she had stayed calm, and walked over to him as he sulked over what had occurred to try and mend the situation, help him understand he...

" _ **Just leave me alone."**_

 _'Was it wrong?'_ She thought. Her eyes lazily looked up from where she sat, showing a mirrored reflection of a stressed teenager. Her eyes narrowed in an irritated glare at herself, the frown reflected back only reminded her of how badly she was confused, unsure. ' _Should I have not gotten in the way of the situation? Would it have been better to just let Superboy vent? Be angry until he cooled off on his own?'_

"Win-"

 _'No, that would have been wrong. I was just trying to help. It would have been terrible to not help fix the situation. If not to calm Superboy down, to at least help Miss Martian. She didn't deserve that. It was a mistake.'_

"-ter"

 _'I didn't plan for any of this. This was supposed to all go well. The mission was a bust and the cookies burned to a crisp, but we're all supposed to bond. Be a team.'_

"Hey Wi-"

 _'The way he looked at me. Talked to me. I want to fix this. I don't want to lose another friend. I want Superboy to be able to trust me, not push me away. Should I talk to him again? Will he be okay with that? Should I wait longer? I could-'_

"Hey Winter!"

"Wah?!" Hastily jumping out of her seat from the loud yell of her codename, Samantha blinked her eyes quickly, adjusting her vision to remember where she was.

She remembered. She was in the Bioship, Miss Martian's spaceship. The group had decided to take it out for a spin, go fly around the Happy Harbor to get a feel for their "base of operations" of sorts. She'd receded to her thoughts right after take off so quickly that she'd forgotten where she was. How long had she been quiet?

Realizing she was still losing herself to her thoughts, Samantha squeezed her hands into fists at her sides and turned her body, a glare towards the one who had yelled at her.

Wally, of course, it'd be him.

"What in the world gave you the smart idea to yell in my ear like that Wally?" Samantha asked, irritation slowly raising in her voice.

Raising his hands up in defense, the Speedster shrugged his shoulders. "We tried to get your attention before. You weren't answering. Next best thing was yelling in your ear."

"You were pretty out of it, Winter." Robin chimed in from his seat, his visored gaze turned to her, a small smile on his face.

"I-" Miss Martian spoke up from her seat at the helm, her focus on her fellow heroine. "I just wanted to know if you were okay? You looked really sad."

 _'Of course. I probably was looking like a sad sack thinking about all of this.'_ Samantha thought, remembering the ill feelings she'd felt during her momentary reflection.

Smiling at the kind gesture M'gann spoke, Samantha turned her gaze to the martian. "I'm...fine." She answered hesitantly, unsure if she wanted to reveal the truth of her thoughts aloud. Crossing her arms over chest, the ice user lets her eyes wander slowly to the seat of Superboy.

He sat ahead of the others in the front, on the left of Aqualad and simply kept staring out at the sky the group flew through. He didn't make any move to turn around, to see what the group was talking about in the back.

 _'It's not like I want him to look over here.'_ Her thoughts spoke up, pushing the awkward feeling she was experiencing away and closed her eyes. To think she was trying to lie to a mind reader of all people. M'gann surely had to know what she was _really_ thinking about. Or rather _who_.

"I'm just mad still. About not getting a mission from the League. That's all, but thank you for the concern M'gann." Samantha spoke, looking to her fellow team mate with the best smile she could muster in her state, taking a seat back down in her chair and facing the others.

"Are you sure? I thought it was more about...you know." M'gann whispered, her eyes shifting from the ice user to Superboy who sat beyond the group's conversation. "He yelled at you because of me and I used my telepathy even when you told me before it was a bad idea."

Hearing M'gann's response, Samantha couldn't help but feel the frown that left her lips slowly return. "It's okay M'gann. I didn't explain further so that's on me. Superboy's actually a really nice person once you get to know him. A little rough around the edges, but he's still learning." Samantha reassured the martian, shrugging her shoulders that now felt as heavy as lead. "I'm sure he didn't mean what he said to me either."

 _'If your so sure how come you still feel so nervous about it?'_

"He'll come around," Robin whispered back, making Samantha look over to the boy wonder. "Like Winter said he's still learning. Just give it some time."

"Are you sure? I don't think he likes me very much already." M'gann spoke sadly, sharing a worried gaze with Winter.

"You guys do know he has super hearing right?" Wally whispered quietly, looking to the three other heroes and pointing to the back of Superboy.

Understanding it was Wally's nature to jump in with a comment here or there, Samantha still couldn't help but let her eyes stare the speedster down. "And you do know what the word tact is right, Wally?" Samantha asked back, an irritated glare in the redhead's direction.

"Hey. Just pointing out the obvious." Wally answered with a shrug.

Watching the two heroes argue from the other side of the ship, Robin shook his head and looked over to the driver with a smirk, hoping to break the tension in the ship. "Hey, about we see some of that martian shapeshifting?"

Looking to Robin after his suggestion, M'gann stared at the boy for a few moments before smiled, getting out of her seat. "Sure. I'll be glad to show you."

"Me too. I'm a little curious." Samantha answered a well, watching the rest of the team all turn to keep their eyes on Miss Martian.

Standing at the center of the ship and the team's eyes on her, Miss Martian gave an optimistic smile as she activated her powers. Nothing had happened at first, but as Samantha observed Miss Martian work her magic, the girl looked down and noticed her skin change color. Turning black from her feet upwards, the color crawled up her body, gaining speed as it reached up to her torso where it shifted to red and yellow.

The colors colliding with one another, Miss Martian's appearance slipped away from her face, and her clothes began to morph in shape until the revealed an outfit very closely resembling Robin. From the color scheme, gloves, utility belt, and cape, Miss Martian finished off her change with the familiar domino mask covering her now light caucasian skin, her hair now a short style like the boy wonders and black.

At first, Samantha was shocked, to say the least. Just seeing the shapeshifting process up close in such a way blew her mind to no end, especially since her team mate had looked so differently seconds ago. However, as she looked closer at the transformation she began to notice some small details that were off.

 _'She still looks like a girl, though. It's almost right, but a bit off.'_ Samantha thought, her eyes scanning over Miss Martian's "Robin" form as she twirled on her heel.

"Wow, nice impression." Robin complimented, clapping at the female version of himself standing on the ship.

Letting the image sink into her team mates eyes, Miss Martian shed this disguise as well and activated her powers again, this time letting the black, yellow, and red of the costume morph away and change her body further. Her body growing a few inches taller and becoming a bit more shapely, the clothes that were on her caucasian skin became a tight yellow jumpsuit around her body, and once the newest transformation took hold of her, the martian girl smiled to reveal her newest form of Kid Flash, green eyes, red hair, and the famous red lightning bolt on her chest.

Striking a pose, Miss Martian looked to Kid Flash to show off her work. "Does it look good?"

Eyes unable to keep themselves off the disguised martian, Wally had a dreamy look in his eyes, goofy smile included. "Is it wrong to think I'm hot?"

"A little weird, yeah," Samantha spoke, distaste evident on her face while looking at the speedster. "They're great, but they aren't perfect. They might need a little more work."

"It's a bit hard trying to mimic boys." Miss Martian replied, fidgeting a bit with her disguised hands. "But girls I can do perfectly. Watch."

Taking another opportunity to show off her shapeshifting powers to the group, Miss Martian twirled on her toes and let her powers wash over her disguise of Kid Flash. The colors melting away bit by bit and watching her clothes and body morph to the next mimicked form, Miss Martian's skin became bit lighter in tone, while her body shrunk just an inch to fit what she needed.

The jumpsuit she once wore washed away, slowly morphing until it clung to her new body in the form of an all too familiar dress shirt, bolero jacket, combat skirt, and boots. Letting the colors of white splash the outfit along with hints of red and blue at the insides of the clothing, Miss Martian finished her alteration as the short red hair she sported earlier grew to a longer length and was tied into a neat high ponytail of pure white strands.

Opening her now ice blue eyes and gracing a smile upon the soft features on her newly made heart shaped face, the martian twirled on her feet gleefully to show off the newest disguise, a perfect copy of Winter.

"How about this? Does it look good or what?" Miss Martian joked, the copied form of Winter smiling and striking a cute pose to the others.

Looking at the perfect copy of his team mate standing in the room, Robin nearly let his sunglasses slip at the awe on his face. "Now that's a perfect copy."

"I'll say," Samantha answered, a bit of shock running through her system. Getting out of her seat and rushing over to Miss Martian, the ice user excitedly began to inspect every bit of detail. The combat uniform she mimicked looked exactly the same. From the color, the fabric, and even the way she tied her hair. And she couldn't even fathom the craziness that was seeing an exact copy of her own face staring at her. "It's fantastic M'gann. You don't know how much I've wished I could be in two places at once."

Her own face staring back at her, Miss Martian lowered her head a bit as she felt a blush rise in her cheeks at the praise. "Thank you. It's nothing, really."

Awed by the sight and his jaw dropping to the floor, Wally couldn't help but stare at the sight of two Winter's standing together in front of him. "I think I've had a dream like this once."

"Your clothes? How do they change like that?" Kaldur inquired, jumping into the conversation while he looked over the perfect details of the mirrored form of Winter.

"They're organic," M'gann explained. "Like the Bioship. They respond to my mental commands." She replied cheerily.

Hearing the casual comment from M'gann, Superboy turned his chair around to face back to the window. "As long as their the only ones." He coldly commented.

Taking note that Superboy still wasn't over what happened between him and Miss Martian, Samantha looked over to her fellow heroine and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It'll work out."

Ice blue eyes staring back at her, Miss Martian gave an affirmative nod and smiled, letting her shapeshifting powers dissipate and change her back to normal.

"Oh!" Wally called, trying to lighten up the situation. "Can you do that cool ghosting through walls thing manhunter does?"

Taking her seat back at the controls of the ship, M'gann looked over to Wally. "You mean density shifting? Oh, no. It's too advanced for me right now."

"Don't worry about it. Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall." Robin commented, laughing a little as he continued. "When he tries it, bloody nose."

"Dude!"

"What they're trying to say," Samantha spoke up, looking between Robin and Wally as she headed back to her seat. "Is that we all have some work to do, but we'll get better." Falling back into her seat, Samantha lifted her leg and rested atop the other in a casual position. "I'm still having trouble with my Frost Step technique."

"Like that one time, you tried it and ran right into a wall." Wally joked, giggling alongside Robin as the two reminisced over the memory.

Blushing at becoming a joke, Samantha huffed. "Not everyone here knows how to control super speed like you."

Laughing alongside the others, M'gann looked out to the window and began typing down on a few keys on the controls. "Here's something I can do."

Placing her finger on one final button and pressing it, the group examined the color and form of the Bioship from the window and watched it disappear out of thin air. Feeling it wash over the entire spacecraft, the martian beamed at her work. "Camouflage mode."

"Red Tornado to Miss Martian. An emergency alert has been triggered at Happy Harbor power plant." Red Tornado's voice rang through the ship, making all of the teens sit up, alert and ready. "I suggest that you investigate covertly. I'm sending coordinates."

"Received," M'gann answered firmly, looking down to the piloting screen, lights blinking on and the map on her interface slowly showing a path to the alert. "Adjusting course now."

"Tornado's keeping us busy again." Robin huffed, his glare facing to the window on his right.

Looking out the window and watching the scenery change with each passing second, Samantha spotted the power plant the coordinates had pointed out. Steeling herself for whatever danger that may have been ahead, the ice user turned her head back to look at Robin. "If the Cadmus fire got us to Superboy, maybe this fire will show us something too."

"Let us hope it is not as dangerous as before," Kaldur mentioned, scanning over the damage the power plant was taking from the fire.

"C'mon. It can't be that dangerous. Anything could have caused the fire. A short circuit, a match, somebody left, some cigarette still lit-" Wally listed, pointing to each finger while he listed ideas off.

"Tornado," Superboy added, making Wally look over to the clone.

"Uhh...I guess. What gave you that idea supey?" The speedster asked, eyebrow raised at the guess.

"That." Superboy curtly replied, turning his head to look out the Bioship's window. His stare going past the glass in front of the heroes, a few feet away was what appeared to be just that. A tornado.

Winds raging at high speeds and curling together into a fast vortex of speed and destruction, the large tunnel of wind swiftly moved back and forth in directions around the power plant, taking in whatever cars, streets lamps, signs, and plant life was in its way. And while it looked to be destructive and unpredictable, the winds looked, or rather felt like it had a mind of its own. Especially when it began to head straight for the group without stopping.

"That thing is coming right for us!" Samantha hastily said, fear slowly crawling up her stomach and clung to her chair for safety,

"Know any evasive maneuvers?" Robin called, gripping onto the seat belt of the chair.

"Hang on!" M'gann called to the group, each team member holding tightly onto their chairs. Focusing her mind to will the Bioship on moving as fast as it possibly could, the group jolted a bit in their seats, the ship picking up speed and heading in the opposite direction the strange cyclone of destruction was coming from.

The strange rage of wind, however, wouldn't let the group get away that easily. Taking off towards them with the force of a speeding truck, the cyclone sucked the ship into its grip, taking the spaceship and the teens within it into its sharp winds.

The ship spinning in circles at the same speed the winds had them locked in, the young heroes inside gripped onto whatever they could to keep themselves steady.

"Somebody do something before we get flung out the ship!" Wally cried out, trying to pull himself upright as the gravity of the spinning was keeping his body bent back.

"I'm trying!" M'gann forced out, doing the best she could to keep her thoughts straight as she too was feeling the effects of the rampaging winds that trapped them. Gripping her hands tightly onto the controls and forcing her mind to go into overdrive in the Bioship, the spaceship began to turn up right within the cyclone and rode the winds. Spinning at the same speed the wind was yet keeping itself steady, the ship finally emerged from the claws of the tornado and rushed outwards to safety.

Taking the moment the team had to prepare themselves for the battle of them, M'gann ordered the ship to descend to the ground below, landing in the open space of the power plant parking lot. "Is everybody okay?"

Mumbles of pain and groaning answered back to Miss Martian, with Robin, in particular, taking off his seat belt and adjusting the sunglasses on his face. "What was that?"

"A tornado, like I said," Superboy answered back, shaking his head to rid himself of the dizziness inside his mind.

Groaning in her own seat, Samantha unbuckled the seatbelt off of her body and held her head in pain. It was bad enough when it felt like the room was spinning, but if you were spinning at such a fast speed, in a vehicle, in a tornado well...

"I am going to rip whoever put me through that to shreds," Samantha spoke up but hissed at a dull pain striking through her skull. "Ugh, once I stop seeing two of everything."

Unfortunately," Aqualad spoke, rubbing his own tired eyes and getting out of his own seat. "That'll have to be now. We need to get moving and find the cause of that wind."

"I'll get us out of here." Typing in a few keys into the Bioship's controls, the floor of the ship began to morph with life, receding away from itself and stretching out to become a large hole to the outside world. "Ready when you are."

"And I'm getting up." Samantha groaned, pushing herself out of her chair and rubbing her sore head. Doing her best to focus her senses for the battle ahead, Samantha let her powers slowly activate as frost began to coat her fingertips, while her breath began to appear in a light fog. "Okay, I'm ready now."

One after another the team jumped out of the Bioship, the group landing on their feet onto the asphalt ground of the parking lot. Each teen looking around to assess their own idea of the damage caused, their combined attention turned back to the source of the destruction, going I for another rampage at the power plant.

"Robin," Aqualad spoke up, trying to keep his voice loud above the roaring winds. "Are tornados common in New England?" Not hearing any sort of response, the dark-skinned Atlantean turned his head back to face to detective. "Robin?"

"He's already gone. He's got to stop doing that." Winter commented with a frown, looking to where the boy wonder had once stood alongside the group. How did he have the time to disappear so fast without anybody noticing?

"Is he already inside?" Miss Martian asked, her voice carrying worry at the idea of their team mate going on ahead of them.

 ***Boom***

Loud explosions carrying through the air, the team turned their heads to the source of the sound, watching as the glass windows of the power plant began to explode and shatter into shards one by one.

"I think that means a yes." Kid Flash surmised, running off towards the power plant entrance way with the rest of the group.

* * *

"Ahhh!" Robin yelled, feeling his body being pushed back by an extremely strong gust of wind. Slamming back against a stone pillar, the boy wonder fell to the ground with a heavy thud, rubbing his head and staring back at the culprit of the destruction.

Standing at a very tall eight or nine feet, the large villain seemed to not only tower over the boy wonder but also have the body to crush him. Their arms, legs, and body larger than the average human being and covered from head to toe in dark red armor, the villain's outfit was complimented with a strange array of tubes strapped to their gauntlets and headed backward into sockets based at their shoulders. Large dark gauntlets covered their wrists and ankles, with the wind seemingly pouring out from these devices and swirling with energy at their command.

Soon enough the rest of the team ran in, eyes darting every which way to find the culprit to the destruction going on until all eyes landed on the large form ahead of them.

Superboy taking the initiative jumped in first, using his strength to vault off the ground in a high jump, landing hard next to the downed Robin who was rubbing his sore head.

"Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked, not taking his eyes off the large armored man until taking off towards him in a sprint.

"Didn't catch his name, but he plays kind of rough," Robin warned, lifting his upper body off the ground to glare at the group's common enemy.

The large armored being watched the group, only chuckling at the confused looks on each one of their faces. "My apologies. You may address me as Mister Twister." Finishing his short introduction, the robotic arms of Mister Twister rose up, calling upon the winds that stormed around his body to use against the oncoming boy of steel. Raising the speeds and power of his wind even further than before, Mister Twister moved a single hand in the air, directing a large tunnel of wind at Superboy.

Stubborn to keep moving forward despite the situation he was getting himself into, Superboy still ran toward the red armored foe but felt his assault suddenly slow down as rushes of wind pushed his body back inch by inch. Holding his arms up to shield his face from debris getting caught in the wind, Superboy growled at Mister Twister, gritting his teeth towards him as he kept trying to push through the impenetrable force of air.

"I don't have time for simpletons like you." The deep voice of Mister Twister concluded. Wanting to finish this first challenger quickly, the robotic arms of the villain rose up once more, and with a flick of his fingers made the tunnel of winds being pushed at Superboy morph together and go beneath his feet, lifting the enraged boy into the air. With one final swing of his wrist, Mister Twister commanded the wind trapping Superboy to throw him and watched as the larger teen was thrown to the back of the room, slamming into a wall on the way down.

"S-Superboy!" Miss Martian cried, worry evident in her voice. Her eyes looking back at the downed hero and turning back to the rest of the team, the martian looked to Winter. "Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine," Winter muttered though she wasn't sure she wanted to believe what she said herself. Obviously, she was worried, but the situation they were in right now called for them to take action against this new enemy. "He's strong. Right now we need to take care of wind bag over there."

"Agreed. Try to focus on combined attacks. He won't be able to ensnare all of us if we attack him at different angles." Aqualad suggested, looking to each member and getting a nod of approval from each.

"I'm ready when you guys are," Wally added, taking out his iconic red goggles and placing them over his eyes, suiting up into his Kid Flash persona.

Getting up from the ground and holding his aching side, Robin groaned a little and glared towards Mister Twister. "On my mark...Go!"

Like lit fireworks each member of the team sped off towards Mister Twister, some taking the initiative to head in first into the unknown. While some actions had some effect, others failed terribly, and nothing seemed to be working.

Winter, keeping back to try and analyze just what this new found enemy could do stood by next to Robin, watching Aqualad and Miss Martian head in to take on Mister Twister.

"You got any ideas?" Robin asked, gritting his teeth at the sight of Aqualad and Miss Martian being flung in random directions from the wind.

"Not really. But how about we try something long range?" Winter asked, her hands glowing and frost materializing on her hand. The familiar light exploding into snowflakes, small needles of ice sat between her fingers, and with careful precision propelled the tiny projectiles towards her target.

The sharp needles flying towards him, Mister Twister retaliated back, creating a wave of wind to push the needles off to the side, each sharp object stabbing into the ground around his feet.

"I hope this is the least amount of effort you can do. I was prepared to challenged by heroes. Not children." He spoke a sense of smugness in his tone.

"We're not children!" Robin retorted back, a projectile hidden beneath his back. Taking aim towards Mister Twister's chest, the boy wonder called upon his target practice training and flung a projectile bomb towards the robotic man.

A tornado coming in to block the way easily latched onto the bomb, letting it explode into a fiery demise in the wind. Letting his guard down for a moment, Mister Twister dismissed the wind away, not noticing another ice needle heading in his direction thanks to Winter.

The needle hitting its mark and lodging into Mister Twister, Winter held out her hand toward the needle and called upon her ice to start making quick work of the robotic man. The needle glowing a soft light slowly crumbled bit by bit, almost disappearing before it started freezing the android's suit, bits of ice crawling in random directions like cracks in a wall.

Noticing the freezing temperature that was taking over, Mister Twister raised his arm up for just a moment before slamming it down at the center of the affliction. The force clanging hard and making a loud ring from his armor, he removed his hand away, revealing the ice that had been crawling on his suit crumble into shards, falling at his feet.

"Objectively you are. Have you no adult supervision? Your presence here is quite disturbing." Mister Twister answered back.

"I'll show you disturbing! Take this!"

Rushing around Robin and Winter at an inhuman speed, Kid Flash with a face that could only be described as plastered with determination headed right towards the imposing form of Mister Twister.

"KF, you idiot! Don't go in head first!" Winter yelled at the speeding red-head, trying to warn him of his mistake.

Ignoring the warning from his team mate and using his speed to vault off the ground, Kid Flash flipped upright and moved his body, using his speed to slam his feet right into the chest of his target.

An easy target soaring his way, Mister Twister obliged Winter's warning well, a twister rushing in and stopping the speedster midair. Holding the boy in a prison of wind for a few more seconds, Twister pushed the speedster hard into another direction, Kid Flash skidding out of the power plant into the empty parking lot outside.

 _'This guy is destroying us.'_ Winter thought annoyed, her hands clutching tightly into fists at her sides. There had to be something they could do to take this guy down. A new strategy, anything better than just going at him from all directions.

Hearing the rushing footsteps of Aqualad, Superboy, and Miss Martian rush back over to the sides of Robin and herself, Winter hastily moved her eyes across the room. To find something that could give them the upper hand. It was after some rushed searching that her eyes landed on a ventilation pipe just above the ominous villain.

 _'That could work.'_ She thought, turning her attention to Miss Martian.

"Miss Martian, take that thing out above air head." Winter ordered, pointing out the structure to her fellow team mate.

"I'm on it." Acting on the best training she could muster and focus her telekinesis onto the pipe above, Miss Martian held her hands up towards the pipe and swung her arms downward, the force of the action causing the vent to break open, a large flurry of steam shooting out down onto the unsuspecting villain.

"Raahhh!" Heading right back into the thick of things, Superboy jumped up into the air with all of his strength and descended down towards the blinded Mister Twister, a cry of anger releasing from his form as he rushed downwards at Mister Twister.

His powers pushing the steam out of his gaze, Mister Twister simply looked up to the rushing form of Superboy, and with a single flick of his wrist backhanded him hard towards the rest of the team and into an unsuspecting Miss Martian.

Aqualad and Robin heading in next to try their own team attack were too caught up by the unknown man's wind. Both boys pushed off the ground and no longer able to run or get away, screamed in confusion as the mini twister spun them around senselessly until colliding them hard against one another. The force too tough for the two teens to shake off, they fell tiredly to the groan, groaning in pain.

"Have you all had enough failure for the day?" Mister Twister asked Winter, the only one left standing in the room.

"Not even close!" Winter yelled back, her hands glowing before shooting a ray of ice towards Mister Twister.

Creating a small tornado of wind to shield himself, the ray of ice shooting towards Mister Twister was caught in the winds, the ray shooting out into different directions and missing him completely.

Realizing that plan wasn't working, Winter continued her assault, creating more ice needles and began throwing them at rapid speeds, only to watch as they shattered from the gauntleted hand of the villain.

"You're not getting away with any of this!" Winter proclaimed, anger swelling up in her as she tried to glare down the masked assailant.

"As courageous as you think you may sound, I've already won this battle child." Mister Twister spoke, the violent winds surrounding him growing larger every second. "Why don't you go back home and play hero somewhere else?"

….

…

..

.

That was it. That was the last straw.

Tired of seeing so much of the mistakes the group had made, the failed attempts at her own retaliation, and the condescending words of the unknown villain, the stress levels Winter had tried to keep in check weren't balancing out like she hoped.

Those words...The words that made her feel so weak, unprepared, useless. Everything that had made her so mad these past few days was just flooding back into her mind now like water from a broken dam.

Her father's expectations? They were getting worse.

Her confrontation with Roy? Their friendship may never recover.

Their first mission as a team together? A bust.

Trying to all become friends with one another? Ruined.

Her friendship with Superboy? It was nothing but rocky now.

And now here she was getting her butt seriously kicked by the likes of some guy who'd just popped up in their new base of operations, spewing out the nonsense of them being just kids and not putting up much of a challenge.

Who did he think he was?!

"You don't know me!" Winter cried out, her teeth gritting tightly against one another and a glare so heated that it contrasted with her entire being as a cold ice user. Materializing a rapier of ice into her hand and gripping it tightly, her hand, usually so calm and poised for battle, shook with anger coursing through her being and pointed it at Mister Twister.

She was pissed. With everything!

She'd never felt so angry before, not able to recall the last time she felt like this. She couldn't figure out a moment like this where she wanted to forgo all of her training, all of her practice to control her emotions, her brain, and just let her emotions take over instead of pushing them away.

If there was any time to let herself go and let loose, this was it.

No longer listening to the rational part of her mind, the part she'd followed for so long, Winter activated her Frost Step, and in a blur of speed and ice trailing behind her rushed head on at the imposing foe and jumped into the air towards him.

Her body finally appearing in a flurry of snowflakes and speeding at the figure, Winter, her ice blue orbs burning with the uncontrollable fire of rage she caged for so long, raised her rapier of pure ice to her side, the pointed tip directly in the line of sight of Mister Twister's chest.

"I'M! NOT! PLAYING!" Her voice echoed through the room, its message never losing its rage or meaning directed at the villain.

She was a hero! She was! She had to be! This was the only thing she knew she could control herself, with her own two hands and mind.

What...what else was she without this?

Making no move for just a few seconds Winter rushed at Mister Twister, the robotic man finally raised his hands up into the air, and a large tornado sprouted from the ground and froze the enraged girl in its grasp.

"Children. Always so prone to act on their emotions."

Those words, feeling her body get flung like a rag doll, and the sound of shattering glass were the last things she remembered before darkness encroached her vision and she blacked out.

* * *

Pain.

A burning, stinging pain was the first thing Winter felt as her senses returned to her. It hurt terribly, to say the least, but her body all over felt a little bit worse.

"Hey, I think she's waking up."

"She looks really hurt."

"Give her space."

Disembodied voices invading her ears, Winter groaned in pain, and slowly she opened her eyes. Colors swirling a bit as her eyes tried to make out the things she was starting to see, Winter blinked a few times and found herself staring at the blue sky. Was she outside?

Her senses slowly returning along with her vision, Winter could feel the soft feeling of grass underneath her body. As much as she hated how itchy it was at times, it felt like pure bliss on her sore body, stings of pain still shooting through her form.

She tried her best to move her eyes around, to see if she could see anything that could indicate why she was laying on the ground, hurting like she'd been hit by a truck. Standing just a bit away from her she could make out the worried form of Miss Martian, nervous face of Kid Flash, and Superboy with a face she couldn't describe. Worry? Or was It fear?

The forms of Robin and Aqualad were the first to appear to her, the two leaning on each side of her to check her out.

"Don't try to move." Aqualad spoke, resting a hand on the hurt hero's shoulder.

"What...happened?" Winter croaked out, coughing a little while trying to ignore a banging feeling inside her skull as she turned her gaze from Aqualad and Robin.

"You got flung into a window by that Mister Twister guy. You've been out for a couple of minutes." Robin explained, worry noticeable in his voice. "Does anything hurt?

"That's a stupid question." Winter retorted back, sarcasm strong in her response. Slowly lifting her hand up to rest it on the right side of her head, the part that seemed to be hurting the most, her fingers recoiled for a moment when she felt something wet on her fingertips.

Great. She was bleeding.

"My head's cut." Winter answered, rubbing the blood on the grass and willing her hurting limbs to move.

Tired and adjusting herself to keep herself steady, Winter let her eyes wander to her aching body, noticing many cuts that weren't on her skin before now beating intensely with pain. A few scratches covered her hands and cuts were on her arm, most likely from glass that had lodged themselves during her impact.

 _'My head feels lighter.'_ She thought, noticing her head felt more weightless. Moving her hand to touch her head, the ice user felt the strands of her white hair comb into her fingers, and soon enough two and two had clicked together, her eyes looking at the ground and seeing the pools of white hair rest on the grass below her. _'I must have lost my hair tie in when I got flung through the window.'_

She had really messed up if her condition was any evidence.

Getting up back to her feet with the help of Robin and Aqualad, Winter groaned at the pain still lingering all over. Knocked out from being flung through a window.

 _'How could I have been so stupid?'_

"Please tell me we at least won." Winter asked, looking to each member of the group for some sign of victory.

But no sign came. Only looks of defeat, annoyance, and shame.

Had...Had they messed up that badly?

"We would have if she didn't trick us!" The voice of Superboy yelled, breaking the silence between the members of the group.

Eyes turning to Superboy, Winter frowned, not sure what he was talking about until she followed his gaze to Miss Martian, the girl giving an apologetic look to the group.

"W-What happened while I was out?" Winter asked.

"She tricked us, that's what!" Superboy accused, his anger the group knew him for coming back once again.

"I-I didn't mean to. I thought it really was Red Tornado testing us." Miss Martian admitted, trying to defend herself. "I-I couldn't read his mind."

"None of us knew supey. We would have thought the same thing too." Kid Flash added, speeding over to Miss Martian's side.

Anger still fueling his decisions, Superboy angrily stomped to a large rock nearby and with a swing of his arm, smashed his fist into it, causing the rock to explode into small pieces. "And that makes it all okay?!" He roared, turning his head back to look at the martian.

"Superboy, stop it!" Winter yelled, making the clone turn his glare in her direction. "Don't just pin all of this on her! We've all made some pretty bad mistakes today, myself included. She didn't know. That's it."

"She nearly got all of us killed! You killed!" Superboy retorted back, anger swelling in his voice as he tried to argue back with the ice user.

"I would have been fine! I'm still living and breathing now aren't I?" Winter asked, her weak hands trying hard to squeeze into fists.

What was she doing? Why was she getting angry all of a sudden like this? Had this loss really effected her that badly? Or was it what Mister Twister said to her before she'd taken that reckless move.

This wasn't what she wanted. To take two steps back from the small friendship she thought the two shared and watch it crash and burn.

Growling underneath his breath, Superboy just turned away from Winter's gaze. "It was a bad idea listening to her."

"But Winter's right. We all made mistakes today. Miss Martian made a rookie mistake. She's still new to this." Robin chimed in, easing himself back into the conversation to try and diffuse the argument that had formed.

"You are pretty inexperienced." Kid Flash said, resting a hand on his head to think of his next words. "Hit the showers. We'll take it from here." He said, motioning for Miss Martian to go.

Superboy, glancing at Miss Martian's saddened face from behind his shoulder huffed. "And stay out of our way." Superboy growled to the martian. Turning his head back to head in the direction Mister Twister flew off to, Superboy, for a split second, shifted his gaze to Winter.

Seeing his eyes on her, Winter felt her body jolt a little at the eye contact, rather than the pain she should have felt.

 _'Why is he looking at me like that?'_ Winter wondered, her own orbs staring back at Superboy.

Maybe...this was a chance to try and patch things up? God, she didn't know. She wasn't sure about anything anymore. But that look in his eyes, something about it called to her. Told her that it maybe, just maybe, could have been a chance.

Sadly the contact broke a second later, Superboy turning away from the group and vaulting forward, launching high into the sky away from the rest of the team.

"S-Superboy, wait!" Winter called out, reaching a hand out to try and stop him, but winced in pain from a fresh cut on her arm hitting open air. Hissing in pain she pulled her hand back, knowing she was already too late to stop him and cradled her sore arm close to her chest.

And like that the chance was gone. How could all of this happen in the span of a single day?

And what about this team? Her own actions? None of this seemed to reflect the mentality she'd wanted to portray as a hero, someone to take seriously.

 _'Sigrid was right. I really am missing something. We all are.'_ The tired ice user thought, her thoughts reminding her of days prior and the conversation she had with her mentor.

"You should stay behind to Winter." The voice of Kid Flash spoke, putting on his goggles again and speeding off in the direction Superboy went.

"What?" She asked, suddenly realizing what she'd just heard. Watching the speedster run off, Winter shook her head and looked to Robin and Aqualad. "No way. I'm not being put on the sidelines. I've got a score to settle with that bucket head."

"In the condition you're in?" Robin asked, motioning to the cuts on her body, the strained look on her face, and the gash on her head. "You can barely stand up."

"I'm fine." Winter spoke, wincing a little from a cut on her arm. "S-See? Perfect."

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am!" Winter pushed further, a small headache rang in her head. Gritting her teeth, the walls of her confidence and anger slowly began to crumble away, and she sighed heavily and looked down to the ground.

"I-I'm a hero dammit." Winter muttered quietly, her voice cracking a little. "I need to prove it."

"You are a hero Winter, trust me," Aqualad spoke, a conviction in his voice and the maturity the group came to knew pouring from his being. "But heroes know when it is a good time to go into battle and fight. This isn't your time. You did well, but right now you need to take a step back and rest. For yourself and for the rest of us. We'll handle the rest on our own." Aqualad lectured, placing a comforting hand on the shorter teen's shoulder.

Shaking a little at the conflict of emotions swirling inside her, Winter said nothing before nodding quietly, keeping silent in fear that she'd start to cry. She couldn't argue with Aqualad. He was like a big brother to her. Someone who cared about her wellbeing.

The hand disappearing from her shoulder and hearing the sounds of Robin and Aqualad run off towards the battle ahead, Winter stayed where she stood, letting everything that had happened sink in.

 _'This is almost the worst day I've ever had.'_

Lifting her head up and doing her best to not cry like a small child, the ice user brushed a long strand of hair away from her face, sighing at the sight of most of her "team" gone.

Turning her head to look to the only other team mate still with her, Winter frowned at the sight of Miss Martian, the poor girl, leaning on her knees and sprawled on the grass, her head lowered in shame.

"I...I just wanted to be a part of the team." Miss Martian whispered, her voice so quiet Winter nearly missed it.

"I know." Winter spoke, keeping her own voice quiet like Miss Martians'. Bending down to lean on her knee, muttering an 'ow' beneath her breath as she did so, the ice user rested a cut hand on the saddened girls' shoulder, in the hopes of making her feel better. "C'mon. We can't stick around like this. If the others are going to take care of this, we should go wait for them back at the cave."

Sniffling and wiping a small tear from her face, Miss Martian raised her head up to look to Winter, nodding in agreement to the suggestion. "Y-Yeah. I guess so."

The two working together to help one another back to their feet, they slowly headed back to the Bioship. Miss Martian taking the helm once again and Samantha taking a seat that morphed next to Miss Martian, the ship took off and slowly made its way back to base.

* * *

It was a quiet ride.

No sounds, remarks, or questions for a time. All that could be heard was the sound of the wind rushing past the flying spaceship and the soft hum of the machines. Miss Martian had spent a good chunk of the time helping to bandage some of Winters' wounds, thankful her uncle had placed a first said kit on the ship for a case such as this and taught his niece some minor medical knowledge.

"Thank you M'gann." Winter spoke, her a small smile forming on her face, watching the martian clip the last bandage around her head to seal away the cut that had plagued her.

"Your welcome." She quietly replied, not much energy in the response. Though it wasn't in her usual energetic and sweet tone Samantha had been accustomed to, she didn't hold it against her. Everything M'gann has een through that day had to have worn her out.

"I...I think I'm going to quit the team."

 _'W-What did she say?'_ Her eyes sparking with concern, the ice user turned to look over to Miss Martian, the young alien looking down at her hands resting in her lap. "W-What? Why?"

"I don't deserve to be here." Miss Martian responded, shaking her head and frowning. "I've been so excited to come to Earth, see a planet so different from my home. I was given a chance to help out like my uncle, be a hero. But, everything I've done today has ended in disaster. I put everyone in danger for my mistake."

"M'gann," Winter spoke, trying to get the martian's attention. "None of this is your fault. We all make mistakes."

"But I nearly got everyone hurt with that one mistake. I thought Mister Twister was Red Tornado and almost got us hurt worse than before. I invaded all of your privacy with my powers. Superboy is furious with me. I...I don't deserve to be on this team. You'd be better off without me." Miss Martian concluded, trying to fight back with reasons to undermine herself.

Watching the girl next to her begin to break down again, a few small sobs coming out from her shaking form, Winter let her mouth form into a thin line, thinking over what the girl had said.

Taking a moment to try and gather up the most knowledge she could on being mature and wise, Winter...no, Samantha took a deep breath and spoke.

"You know, I'm bad with working with other people." Winter said honestly.

Sniffling, Miss Martian wiped the tears running down her cheeks and looked up to her team mate, confusion written all over. "N-No, you aren't. You were amazing out there."

"I'm not. Really. All that stuff I did out there was thanks to a lot of practice, hard work, and falling on my face. You really think the rest of us just knew how to be a hero when we first started?" Winter asked, a smile on her face at the silly question. "We're only human. Well, Superboy is half human, but that's besides the point.

We all make mistakes M'gann. Some bigger than others and some that end up being so trivial we forget about them. If we all thought about every single thing we did wrong and how we could have done something else, we would have quit being heroes a long time ago."

Resting her own hands in her lap and looking out at the front of the ship to the sky outside, Winter let out an icy breath, watching sparkles of ice glitter in her breath.

"A couple of days ago, I ended up getting into a fight with some really weird villains with Superboy. We tried to go after them, take them down before they hurt anyone else or stole what they could, but we got our butts handed to us. Badly. My teacher Ice Maiden, saw the battle and told me the reason we got beaten was because I was missing something. Something important that I needed if I was going to show that I had what it took to be a hero.

I didn't understand what she meant." Winter spoke, frowning, uncertainty morphing her features. "I thought it was just bad luck, that I was fine, but the more I kept thinking about it throughout the days, I realized she was right. As much as I did not want to admit since I'm sort of stubborn." She joked, chuckling a little.

"Did you find it? What she was talking about?" Miss Martian asked, curiosity replacing the look of despair she had previously.

"Yeah." Winter said, nodding her head a little. "It was teamwork."

"T-Teamwork?" Miss Martian repeated, puzzled by the answer. "But how? I saw you fight with the others. You knew what you were doing, even if we weren't exactly winning."

"Because some pretty amazing people I knew helped me along the way." Winter explained, smiling to the martian before shifting her gaze to her lap."When I'm with Kaldur, Robin, heck even Wally, I know I can do well because they have some of the best tactical skills I've ever seen. They know how to work a battle, come up with plans of attack, find ways to hit an enemies weak spot. I follow their example, not the other way around. When I'm by myself...I can't seem to get it right.

It happened like that with Superboy when we were fighting together. It was just me and him and I thought I could make a plan, find a way to beat the enemy, but in the end I completely disregarded some of the most basic training when fighting with a partner or on a team, and it costed us. As much as I want to be able to lead and think I know what I'm doing, I'm not even close. I still have a lot of growing up to do." Winter noted, a sad smile forming on her face as she fidgeted with her hands.

"So," Winter spoke, raising her head up and looking to the martian. "Don't quit okay? We all make mistakes, but we learn from them. You can too. Nobody can hold it against you. We've only just started to work together as a team after all."

Listening to the inexperienced yet heartfelt words of the white-haired ice user, Miss Martian shook a little in her seat, feeling another fresh wave of tears threatening to come out. Nodding vigorously, the martian hugged Winter tightly in the hopes of conveying her gratitude. "I-I won't. Thank you, Winter."

A bit surprised by the sudden hug from her fellow team mate, Winter mirrored the action back, wrapping her own arms around her friend. "No problem. And...It's Samantha."

"S-Samantha?" Miss Martian repeated, not sure what the ice user had meant.

"My name. I know my dad said not to tell anyone about my identity, but he didn't say anything about just my first name." Winter joked, chuckling as the two broke the tender moment.

Smiling at the poor excuse her team mate, Miss Martian couldn't help but join into the laughter, her voice once so quiet rising in volume as the two laughed together in the small spaceship.

 _ **(A Few Minutes and One Call Later)**_

"C'mon Red Tornado. You're supposed to be watching us, you should come over and give a hand." Winter urged, sitting alongside Miss Martian and staring at the screen expanded on the windshield of the Bioship.

The two heroines able to overcome the insecurities they felt and the situation they were in, both agreed that despite the mistakes that were made and the condition they were in, they needed to do something to help the guys in their battle.

After all, they were a team. It wouldn't be right to leave them with the mess.

Unfortunately for both the super human and martian, their luck was beginning to run thin with her den mother, their stance on helping a bit...perplexing.

"The team really needs your help. Please?" Miss Martian added, her gaze glued to the monitor showing the video call to the red android.

"If I intervene, it would not be to help. Still, it is an odd coincidence that this...twister shares my elemental abilities. And my immunity to telepathy." Red Tornado noted.

"An immunity..." Winter spoke, letting the information roll off her tongue. Now that she thought about everything over again, Red Tornado was correct. Mister Twister had wind powers just like Tornado and looked similarly to him, and though she hadn't been awake to see Miss Martian try to read his mind, she knew that the facts pointed to both the hero and villain having quite a few similarities between each other.

With so many traits matching, could it be possible...

"Hello, M'gann!" Miss Martian spoke out, lightly tapping her head in surprise at her realization. "Mister Twister has to be an android like Red Tornado! That's why I couldn't read his thoughts."

Happy to know Miss Martian had found the answer like she did, Winter nodded and got up from her seat. "Now that we know that, we can take him down. And I've got an idea. As long as we work together and use teamwork, we just might pull it off. Can you contact the others with your telepathy again?"

Getting up from her own chair to stand beside the ice user, Miss Martian smiled and gave a nod of approval to Winters' suggestion.

"Just tell me what to do."

* * *

 _ **(A Few Minutes and Badass Plan Execution Later)**_

"The reprogramming won't take long." The deep imposing voice of Mister Twister spoke sinisterly, his large body standing over the short circuiting form of Red Tornado. Their fingers releasing what looked to be cables and wires to plug in, the large robot place the wires into Red Tornado's helmet, awaiting the next phase of their plan.

Red Tornado said nothing at first, their body most likely too broken down and degraded to make any movement or sounds to respond. But suddenly, like lightning Red Tornado moved and struck, grasping onto the wires that had been planted onto his head and turned their head towards Mister Twister.

"Longer than you might think." A female voice spoke. Slowly morphing their face into a green color and the metallic surface of Red Tornado disappear, Miss Martian's true form, or rather just her head appeared on Red Tornado's body, and with a smile confronted the villain.

Taking the villain by surprise, Miss Martian swiftly moved her disguised hand upward and focusing her telepathic abilities against the large body, used her mind to push a wave of energy at Mister Twister, flinging him off of her and towards the pier.

Flying into a random direction, Mister Twister didn't fall or catch himself, but rather a tornado of wind caught him instead. Caught up in his own game and spinning around out of his own control, the red giant was flung into another direction, the mini tornado dying down to reveal Kid Flash.

"Superboy, catch!" The speedster yelled, motioning for the muscled teen to go in.

"Raahh!" Rushing out into the field and into the direction of the body of Mister Twister, Superboy grabbed onto the armored enemy as quickly as he could, and taking his opportunity to keep him in place and wail a flurry of strong punches into his chest. One coming after the other, each punch shattered metal off of the villain, smoke rising from their back at broken parts taking their toll.

With one final punch and letting go of the villain to let them be pushed back, Superboy let his fist connect into Mister Twister's chest, the collision throwing him into the ocean.

Aqualad was next to be featured in the plan. Now in his territory and swimming at a high speed known for Atlanteans, Aqualad grabbed hold of a broken piece of metal material from the battlefield, using it as a makeshift weapon for attack. Unable to get away due to the heavy armor making him sink, Mister Twister felt yet another weapon connect into their body, the hard feeling of metal being stabbed into their right arm, a large wave of electricity from the Atlantean's magic shocked their system. An explosion from the combo attack detonating, Mister Twister was flung out of the water and back into open air.

Not giving Mister Twister any chance to recover, Robin went in next, taking out his signature batarang projectiles and threw them at the robotic man falling towards the ground. Watching them connect, the air rang out with a large explosion, fire and smoke covering the battlefield in a gust of obliteration.

Falling hard to the ground after beat down he went through, Mister Twister, his voice groaning at the shape their body was in, slowly tried to get back up, their legs, while bent and broken like most of their body, still working and trying to move the figure.

"We can't have you getting away now can we?" The voice of Winter spoke.

Mister Twister, unable to move much of his head after the aftermath of the team's attacks, only stood in silence before a familiar flurry of snowflakes appeared in front of his face.

Suddenly appearing out of thin air nearby Mister Twister, Winter, holding a small scythe of pure ice, rushed past the villain thanks to the push of her Frost Step. Moving past the villain and taking the opportunity to catch him in her grasp, Winter moved the blade closer and closer with each inch she danced through the air.

Dropping to the ground behind the villain, Winter pulled on the shaft of the weapon with all her strength and swung an arc of ice through the air. The blade already connecting with Mister Twister's legs, the blade sliced straight through the metal easily before the entire weapon shattered to pieces, causing the android to fall face first onto the ground below, defeated.

"Who's playing now?" Winter sassed to the broken form of Mister Twister, dusting her hands off of the leftover ice on her fingers and having a smirk of satisfaction grace her lips.

"I can't believe that actually worked." Robin called out in surprise, him and the rest of the team rushing over to take a look at the villain who had beaten them earlier now defeated at their feet. "I wonder who built this thing."

Miss Martian, using her telepathic powers, helped to move the broken body of Mister Twister up to rest it on the leftover parts of its own legs.

Left to its own devices and unable to make anymore moves to retaliate, the broken body of Mister Twister suddenly began to shake. Unable to do anything more, steam released from the chest cavity of the robot, and its chest opened up to reveal the inner workings of the robot.

Cameras, wires, buttons, and monitors, the final piece that revealed the identity of the culprit was that of an older man. Sitting in a plush chair at the center of the robot, the man dressed in a strange jumpsuit pushed himself out of the broken robot, falling face first into the ground from his own blunder.

Fear showing on his face and looking at all of the angry looking teenagers in front of him, the man shakily spoke. "F-Foul. I-I-I call foul."

"Not likely. Go for it Miss M." Winter replied, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the man groveling on the ground.

Getting the OK to take care of the rest, Miss Martian nodded and turned her head to a large boulder off to the side, raising her hand upwards to lift the rock into the air.

"M'gann, no!" Aqualad cried out rushing to the girl in an attempt to stop her.

Moving her gaze back to the man on the ground, Miss Martian swung her arm downwards in front of her, commanding the boulder to land on top of the man, crushing him beneath its force.

The echoing sound of a crash from the boulder still ringing through the ears of the team, Robin was the first to speak, a glare clear behind his shaded eyes. "I don't know how you do things on Mars, but on Earth we don't execute people!"

"And what was that about 'go for it Miss M', Winter? You knew she was going to smash that guy to paste!?" Kid Flash spoke up, flailing his arms at Miss Martian and then to the boulder that sat in front of the group.

Wincing at the screeching from Kid Flash, Samantha huffed and covered her right ear that felt like it was exploding. "Hey, don't yell in my ear. And I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't let somebody kill like that."

"And you said you'd all trust us." Miss Martian responded, a smile on her face at Robin and the rest of the group. Moving the palm of her hand out to the boulder in front of the team, the martian concentrated and slowly lifted the rock off of the mini crater.

Rather than seeing a mesh of blood, broken bones, organs, and other disgustingly gross images the boys had thought would appear, they were shocked instead to see...more wires? Metal limbs?

"That's why I couldn't read his mind before." Miss Martian answered in a matter of fact tone, the group walking closer to inspect the damage that had been done.

"We put it together after you kicked us into the sidelines. We knew it would have been a good idea to tell you ahead of time...but, we thought it'd be funnier for you to find out this way." Winter said, sharing a knowing smile with Miss Martian while Kid Flash and Robin looked over the remains.

"Cool, souvenir." Kid Flash commented, grabbing what appeared to be the mechanical eyeball of the android pilot.

"We should have had more faith in you." Aqualad added, walking over and resting a hand on Miss Martian's shoulder. "You did good work today." Smiling, the Atlantean moved his gaze to Winter who stood off to the side. "The both of you."

Realizing the attention and praise she was receiving, Winter hastily turned her face away from the others, a blush creeping up on her face. "O-Of course. I'm a hero after all. It's only natural that my plan would succeed."

 _'That's total lies and you know it.'_ Samantha's thoughts scolded herself, sighing at feeling her body finally getting a break from the turmoil they'd been put through. In the end everything worked out well for them, at least by pure luck.

"Yeah," Kid Flash agreed, a joking smile spread across his face. "You two really rocked this mission. Get it? Rocked?" The speedster asked, snorting at his own terrible pun.

Again, Winter couldn't help but sigh her stress away.

 _'It's better than hearing another ice pun.'_

* * *

"Ow! Not so hard, will you?" Samantha complained, wincing at the feeling of a piece of glass being pulled out of her shoulder.

The team had thankfully fully completed their "mission" after a long day of failure, getting their butts handed to them, and quite a bit of fighting on some levels. After taking the remains of the broken form of Mister Twister and the remains of the unknown android pilot, the team and Red Tornado had decided to put investigation into the hands of Batman, knowing he would surely get to the bottom of it.

And in the end, the group may have slowly helped to patch things up with one another. While they all knew they had some work to do on being an actual team, the trust Miss Martian had thought was lost forever had been regained and she was now officially accepted into the team with open arms.

And now Samantha, thankful the worst was now over, was stuck in the med bay of Mount Justice sitting tiredly one of the patient beds while a robot assistant went to work on her. After such a long battle of not getting checked out officially from her injuries, Red Tornado had made it a priority that she got medical attention, along with strict orders that she'd have to stay at the base for the night for rest and observation.

"Ah! I said not so hard!" Samantha said again, swatting her hand at the mechanical claw of the robot. Her hair falling at her sides and pooling on the soft bed behind her, the ice user had removed her jacket to reveal her exposed arms and shoulders, showing the cuts and bruises she had received from Mister Twister.

"If you don't move around much, maybe it will get the shards out easier?" M'gann suggested, standing at the entrance way of the medical bay and watching the procedure go on.

"That's easy for you to say, M'gann. You're not the own getting glass pulled out of them. Or claws dug into your skin." The ice user muttered, frowning at the sight of a shard of glass in the claw of the robot.

"Just, be careful." The martian warned, a smile appearing on her face. "Um...Samantha?"

"Yeah?" The white-haired heroine replied, looking up to the martian who had called to her.

Blushing a little at the attention, M'gann fidgeted in her spot for a moment, just enough until she looked back at Samantha. "I...just wanted to say thank you again. For talking to me and helping me."

"Oh," Samantha answered, using her free arm to scratch the back of her head, an embarrassed smile appearing. "I-It was nothing. I just wanted to help you and make you feel better. There was no reason you should have been singled out for the mistake you made. We've all made them, trust me."

"It was though. If it hadn't been for you, I might not be here right now, still on the team. You encouraged me and stuck by me when I thought I had nothing to offer. And thanks to you everyone believes in me and trusts me now. Even Superboy apologized to me." M'gann exclaimed excitedly, jumping a little with energy before stopping her actions. "B-But don't tell him I said that."

He...apologized? To M'gann?

She...She hadn't heard anything like that from him. Actually, now that she thought about it, she hadn't talked to him at all since the group had fought back at the power plant. Why did he talk to M'gann?

Wait, why was she caring so much about that? Thinking something so petty like that about him and M'gann?

Shaking the confused thoughts from her mind, Samantha gave a weak smile and nodded to M'gann. "I...won't say anything. But see, I told you he's a good guy. He's just a little rough is all. So, don't hold it against him if he gets mad easily. He's still learning, so just try to be his friend. It'll work out."

"Will do! I'll get out of your way so you can finish up. If you need me I'll be in my room just down the hall. Good night." M'gann finished, sending back one more thankful smile to Samantha and waving good bye before disappearing down the hall.

The weird medical robot pulling out the last of the shards of glass in her body, Samantha grabbed the bandages that had been provided for her and began placing themover parts of her shoulders to cover her cuts.

"If this keeps up I'm going to have to wrap myself up like a mummy." She muttered quietly, groaning in pain as she began putting her jacket back on.

"Hey."

Freezing in her motions to adjust her jacket back on her body, Samantha stole her gaze away from the trivial fixation of her jacket and looked up to the entrance of the medical bay. Rather than Miss Martian who had been standing there before, the form that had taken her place was...

"Superboy." Samantha spoke, confusion written on her face. Just when she had been caught thinking about him, there he was all of a sudden. "Uhh...Hey."

Ice blue orbs and dark blue staring back at one another, the two let silence engulf the room, saying nothing to one another for what felt like hours.

Samantha though, decided to cut the tension. Anything was better than awkward silence. "D-Did you need something?"

"Yeah, kind of." Superboy said, yet his eyes said different. He turned his staring away from Samantha, moving it downward to observe the white tiles of the medical room, as if the words he wanted to say were written for him to read. "I...I just..."

"Take your time." Samantha commented, lolling her head to the side while she awaited Superboy to figure out what it was he wanted to say. She could see the way he was holding himself, unsure and hesitant. "You don't have to force yourself."

If this was what she thought it was, what was her answer going to be? Superboy, as complicated yet new to things as he was, had sort of hurt her feelings.

She knew in the back of her mind he hadn't meant to, even explaining to Miss Martian that his anger towards her was just the backlash of abuse Cadmus had put him through.

He was still learning, and like everybody else he too could make mistakes. She had to understand that, and this was one of those moments that she had to prove it.

Looking back up to gaze at Samantha who simply sat quietly to let the teen think his thoughts through, Superboy nodded, a mix of perplexity and uncertainty showing while he spoke up.

"I'm...Sorry." He finally answered, forcing the apology out like it had been the toughest battle he'd ever faced. Shutting his eyes and his hands gripping tightly into fists at his sides, the cloned boy turned his face away from Samantha to try and not look at her reaction.

 _'He...He apologized. He really did it.'_ Samantha thought, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the hesitant young hero looking away from her.

Surprise was the first emotion she felt creep up inside her. Surprise that what she had just witnessed and heard had actually happened.

Relief was next. Just knowing that Superboy was remorseful about the way he had yelled at her earlier that day helped the fears in the back of her mind subside, knowing that despite the setback that moment had for them, the two wouldn't be on thin ice as friends.

Pride. She was just so happy that Superboy, the boy she'd only met a few weeks ago and unknowing of the world beyond the pod at Cadmus he lived in, was learning. He was understanding, growing as a person. He was finally getting the life he deserved. As crazy, hectic, and a little chaotic as it was at times.

And...something else. She couldn't place the last emotion. It warmed her entire being, making the lingering pain from her injuries disappear like magic. It was strong like confidence and pride, yet it felt sort of squishy around her heart and made her shiver at the same time. Was it those crazy teenage hormones messing with her again?

Or, maybe that was the medicine she'd gotten kicking in?

In any case, Samantha smiled, a genuinely happy smile to Superboy and leaned forward on the bed, hoping the teen could hear her next words. "I forgive you."

"Y-You do?" Superboy asked, raising his head up from his attempt at hiding from the ice user.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"N-No." Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Superboy shifted his gaze away once again, his eyes darting around the room to try and make sense of what he was supposed to say next. "B-But why?"

"Because you're still learning Superboy. And I could hear it in your voice. How genuinely sorry you are." Samantha commented, her smile never faltering. "You may not know that much about emotions or how to keep them in check, but you do know how to look back on your mistakes and fix them. Not a lot of real humans know how to do that part right."

"Really?" Superboy asked.

"Yeah, really." Samantha replied back, nodding and staring at her unsure team mate. "As long as your genuine about what you feel and are willing to fix whatever outburst that may come out by accident, you're learning in my book and I'll forgive you. Count on it."

Blushing a little at the explanation she gave, Samantha crossed her arms in a defiant manner and pointed to the boy. "But...Don't think I'll just forgive you if you apologize to me. Especially if you do something really stupid. I'm not a pushover."

The tension breaking away at the relaxed tone she held, Superboy let the weight in his shoulders melt away, and smiled at the face Samantha was making. "I'll try not to." Giving a nod to prove her understood, Superboy turned back to the hallway to head back to his room, but stopped momentarily to look back at the ice user. "Samantha?"

Lowering her arms to rest in her lap after making the playful gesture, Samantha straightened herself to sit properly and turned her head to look at the retreating Superboy. "Y-Yeah Superboy?"

"...Thank you." And with those last quiet words spoken, Superboy moved back to his path down the hallway, disappearing from the ice user's line of sight.

Sitting silently and finally alone in the medical room, Samantha said nothing at first. Nothing seemed to come to her mind but the words she had just heard uttered to her. Words she never thought she would hear from Superboy for a long time.

It wasn't just a simple and casual 'thanks'. No, it was a real authentic 'thank you' from Superboy. No jokes, no curt tones, no sense of hesitation. It was heartfelt. She could feel it.

Then, she slowly maneuvered her body to slowly lay down, letting her tired form rest on the soft mattress of the cot she took residence. Making herself comfortable and sure she wasn't going to get up again for anything else, the ice user slowly moved her right hand up to her mouth and slowly covered it.

Her body was heating up all over.

She felt her form shaking despite it not being cold.

It felt like it was hard to breathe suddenly, like her breath had been stolen from her.

All of these feelings went into overdrive in her body. Just because Superboy had said thank you? Were hormones and puberty that powerful that it could make her feel like this?!

Her face flushed at the memory just moments ago playing back in her mind, she gave a muffled groan into the palm of her hand, thankful nobody was around to see her having an internal conflict with her own emotions.

Was it bad? To wonder if it was now okay to start having a crush on Superboy? Those words he spoke, the bonafide emotions he had when he apologized, the way he shined when he smiled.

God, that smile.

She wanted to be rational, keep a lid on her emotions and ignore any semblance of rash decision that wanted to surface. Acting on her emotions had gotten her thrown out a window for God's sake!

She knew that eventually anger could break out, burst everywhere like an explosion if kept in too long. It was appropriate to let anger out when needed and others times it was important to ignore it.

But, this feeling that was inside her...It was different, not even close to anger. It didn't feel like it was hurting her in any way, hindering her process to think, stopping her hero work, lose control of her actions.

It was warm.

It was fast.

It was constricting.

Made her hands shake a little, but it made her happy too.

She'd never met anyone that made her feel...like this. Like she was on top of the world.

Curling up into the covers of the bed she laid on, Samantha wrapped herself neatly into a soft cocoon and slid her hand away from her mouth to rest it close to her chest with the other, curling up protectively with her hands over the spot she knew her heart was beating rapidly beneath her skin.

 _'I...don't know if I want to ignore this feeling.'_

* * *

Yay, I got through the next chapter! Sorry that the end kind of got choppy with the scene changes. I really wanted to get this out to you all, so I had to get a little weird and switch scenes back and forth so I didn't have to take longer with this.

Now that this chapter is over, I hope to try and start the next one during my spring break. So, please look forward to it. ;3

Some extra notes to make mention of before I sign off.

-A super cute commission I got from the Tumbler user jooblesbeebles and the artist tag Jubblier has now taken the face of this story. I love it so much and am so happy with how it turned out. If you want a closer look, just click the pic. Not only is it a cute pose, but you may notice a little something extra if you look closely at Winter and Superboy.

I wonder who will spot it first, and what you'll think it means? X3

-Second note, since writing this chapter, I've created a separate story using Superboy and Winter as the main pairing and characters. I wanted to try and play around with their relationships and story ideas without having to halt writing or changing the main story, so instead I made an AU! fic series called Changing Seasons!

I already got two chapters posted, each a different idea, so if you'd like to read them, see some fun interactions in different situations, or suggest one, please go to it and review.

And I think that's all. Hope you guys all have a great day/night.

Next Chapter: Dropzone Pt. 1


	9. Drop Zone Pt 1

Hi everybody! Welcome to the next chapter of Winters' Ballad: Growth & Love! Wow, it's already chapter 9. I'm glad to see people are reading this. A lot of users like to follow my work.

If only I could get reviews. That'd be even better. TAT

But anyways, on to some other stuff. Sorry if this took longer to come out than expected. My spring break is going well (or was well depending on when this chapter gets out), but unfortunately with college being a hard trial of life, I was given two essays to work on during my break. So if this isn't out before April 10th, I apologize. School is the priority, no matter how much I want to keep writing.

So here is Dropzone Pt. 1. I hope you all enjoy it. And remember, please review if you can. Favorites and follows are great, but I can't know if I need to improve or if ideas don't strike you if nobody says anything. It's hard to write not knowing if people like what you are writing.

I still haven't heard anything about which everyone prefers, Valentine or Peppermint. So looks like you'll find out what they mean either in this chapter or next. ;3

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters. I also do not own the song or lyrics of Aria (Stammi Vicino, Non Te Ne Andare). Those go to the composer of Yuri! On Ice!'s soundtrack.

* * *

 _ **-Starry Night Ice Rink**_

 _ **Star City, July 22nd, 2010 6:30 P.M. PDT-**_

Silence hung in the air. An ice rink, void of any patrons or distractions. Everything was exactly the way she wanted it to be. The way she needed it to be.

Standing by her lonesome at the center of the frozen center stage was Samantha Freya. Out of her hero alter ego and donning her civilian identity, the young maiden stood by herself, her body dressed in a form fitting black athletic top, matching black pants lined with white stripes on her sides, and black gloves.

Her eyes closed, the heroine prioritized her thoughts above everything else around her, keeping her head clear.

Just her, the calming wave of cold wafting in the enclosed room, and the sound of music dancing on the cold breezes.

It was just what she needed. For the world around her to just melt away and disappear. Hide herself from her worries, responsibilities, and fears for just an hour or two. As long as nobody disturbed her...

Tying her brunette hair back into a neat bun, Samantha took a deep breath, the cold air slipping through her throat before releasing in a relaxed sigh. Her tense muscles nothing but a ghost in her memory as she prepared herself, the young teen poised her body in a relaxed stance all too familiar to her and closed her eyes to await the next familiar part of her routine.

The soft melody of harp strings, horns, and cellos began to sing throughout the large room, breathing life into the air like the melodic sounds of the first day of spring. Keeping her eyes closed and recalling the movements that went in time with the music, Samantha slowly opened her eyes and looked up to the ceiling above her, working alongside the music and raising her right hand up into the air before slowly caressing her cheek as she pulled it down around her form.

Moving her body to spin neatly in a circle and face forward, the brunette let the music take over her mind and body, slowly weaving her feet and body on the ice accompanying the music, the clicking sound of her skates moving across the icy floor and trails of her movements mirroring beneath her skates.

" _I hear a voice crying in the distance  
Perhaps you, too, have been abandoned?"_

Letting the emotions pour out from the vocalist's words and the combined lyrics, Samantha gracefully dropped to a knee on the ice, following the routine she had created and practiced for months before swiftly moving her body back upwards, twisting her body in light motions with her arms raised above her head.

" _Come, let's quickly finish this glass of wine  
And I start to prepare myself"_

Skating fluently across the ice, the young brunette stayed composed and quiet, keeping her attention on the music and timing of her next steps and hand movements. Shifting her foot a bit to skate in waves around the ice, Samantha turned her gaze downward to her feet, watching them curve and move across the frozen floor.

 _'Take it slow. Don't rush.'_ Samantha thought, her eyes narrowing a bit as she began to steel herself for her next move.

Moving her hands up to keep her balance and taking in a deep breath to relax her body, Samantha turned as fast as she could, bending her legs ever so slightly and pushed hard off the ground from the soles of her feet, jumping up into the air and spinning in a sophisticated fashion.

 _'Land!'_ Samantha pleaded in her head.

 _"Now, be silent"_

Moving her foot downward to take the brunt of the shock of dropping down on the ice, Samantha focused her left foot to keep itself upright and felt relief at her body standing upright and skating backwards along the ice. No feeling of her stomach dropping, no falling flat on her face like so many practices in her younger days.

 _'Yes!'_ She cheered mentally, pride welling up inside her for her perfect execution. _'At least I know I'm doing better.'_

" _With a sword I would cut those throats that sing of love  
I would enclose in ice the hands that write those verses of fiery passion"_

Letting the music continue its control over her body and letting her form loosen up from the jump, Samantha swayed along the ice, evoking her training in balance and twirling her body in neat circles. Adjusted on her left leg after finishing her twirls, Samantha spun her body to gain speed and lifted her right leg up behind her and placed her hands neatly behind her back, letting the speed she had built up continue her dance in a camel spin.

It was during this moment in her routine that her mind began to wander, the quiet of the room and the music drifting her away from reality combining to let the ice users' mind slip away to thoughts she had wanted to get away from.

 _'What am I supposed to do?'_

" _This story that has no meaning  
Will vanish this night along with the stars  
If I could only see you, eternity would arise from hope"_

 _'I thought it would have disappeared by now. That weird feeling inside my chest I've been experiencing around Superboy.'_

Resting her leg back down onto the ice and switching legs to skate on her right foot, Samantha shifted positions on her feet back and forth, dancing in a neat step sequence.

Four days.

She had counted four days since the incident with Mister Twister. Four days since the Team had officially gotten together and...teamed up. Their first bad guy being taken down more or less without the League's help.

Four days since she'd gotten the apology from Superboy, their friendship mended back together. All of those successes and "firsts" aside, the brunette's thoughts were one a different subject than her hero career or when their first mission was actually going to be revealed

It was Superboy. Again.

Slowing her step sequence and pushing herself to skate along slowly across the ice to regain the oxygen she had been expelling, Samantha calmed her beating heart and took in a few deep breaths, moving her arms and hands in graceful movements to emote the feelings the lyrics of the music were singing.

Her mind clearing due to her cool down sequence, Samantha closed her eyes and let the breeze of the cold air wash over her warm face.

Superboy had taken over her thoughts the past couple of days. More so than she had wanted to admit. Whenever she had a moment of free time from a repetitive lesson on academics or the usual check up from her father back at home, she unconsciously found her thoughts drift away to the stoic boy, moments the two shared, and that smile he'd given her back in the infirmary.

That squirming feeling she had been stuck with that same night never ceased.

The combination of the strange feeling she experienced along with the thoughts of Superboy had made her relive it all over again when she thought about him, her heart exploding in her chest, the air in her lungs disappearing in an instant, and her body heating up subconsciously.

Why?

It was the simple question that plagued her mind for nights. She thought it just the usual bout of hormones of a growing teen, messing with her emotions and making her lose control of her rational self. Something that she would very much grow out of. Spending time with Superboy would obviously be a different experience, making her feel nervous and hesitant inside. He was an enigma, somebody she'd never expected to meet in her life, yet here he was on the same team and working together with her.

Could it have been curiosity?

Was she just unsure and interested in Superboy as a person? There were still things the group hadn't known about him, things even Superboy himself couldn't answer. Was the mystery of who he was and discovering it what allured her to him?

That in itself sounded dumb. Curiosity didn't make people heat up. In the trash bin of bad ideas that assumption went.

Her mind reeled back from her confused emotions, pushing them all aside to start over from the beginning. For now she just had to think things one at a time.

What did Superboy make her feel?

 _'He keeps me on my toes. I lose my composure with him at times that I'm usually so subconscious about because of father, but that isn't always a bad thing._

 _Relaxed too. I have to always act a certain way to make sure father isn't embarrassed, but with Superboy I can be more of a teenager. Act my age because he's blunt and honest no matter who you are. And when he smiles...I feel like my heart will stop and my blood is on fire._

 _Like I'm alive...more alive? That smile he gave me made me feel like I could do anything. I've seen him smile a tiny bit before, but the last one I saw...it felt more meaningful.'_

Frowning, Samantha shook her head and listed off her predicament in the best way she could.

So in the grand scheme of things, Superboy made her feel these things:

-Kept her on her toes with unpredictability. As much as she liked to plan, twists and turns were good.

-His honesty helps her relax, as blunt as it may be sometimes. She was the same way, so she appreciated the same treatment. Honesty was something she treasured.

-The smile she'd seen made her body flare up. That was still debatable. She didn't like the lack of control, but she didn't hate the feeling either.

 _'So if I was looking at this like a character in a book, what would I describe the situation the character was going through?'_

Jumping up softly while shifting between feet to land on, the brunette reached her arms out in front of her, almost as if she was grasping for something, before pulling them back and wrapped her arms around herself.

" _Stay close to me, do not leave  
I am afraid to lose you"_

Her ears catching the latest lyrics of the song, Samantha felt her fingers stiffen tightly around her body.

Could...it have been that?

No.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

No, that was impossible. Well, not impossible. She was a human being after all. There was always a possibility of her feeling... _those_ feelings one day. Yet she always thought that wouldn't happen until far in the future, when she was more of an adult.

Mature. Sophisticated. Maybe a little more sexy than her puny and insecure self hidden deep in the recesses of her soul.

But now? With Superboy?

 _'No!'_ Her thoughts denied, trying her best to find a rational reason to counter this very awkward realization. _'I've only known him for a few weeks. I can't have those kind of feelings. Not that Superboy is a bad guy. He's honest, even if he's brutal about it. He's strong even without his temper, but he's sensitive too. He isn't a bad guy to be with...in that way. Probably.'_ Samantha thought, cursing at the warm feeling that was enveloping her face.

Feeling her spin finally slow down, Samantha unwrapped herself and skated softly on the ice, taking her time to make a few light jumps into the air and landed on her feet each time.

 _'They don't call it falling in love for nothing.'_

A shiver, an icy tingle ran down her spine at the thought of the "L" word.

" _Your hands, your legs  
My hands, my legs,  
And our heartbeats  
Are blending together"_

Was love too strong of a word for someone like her to use?

She knew the word obviously. People used it all the time in their language. To confess their feelings to someone they cared about romantically, show they acknowledge the importance of someone like a family member, people even used it loosely to just show they enjoyed something like food or a scenic view.

And then there was the type of love where you feel...attracted to someone. There was no way she could describe such a basic emotion when she herself never felt something so intense. The only iteration she could think of was when someone liked to look at someone for their appearance, how it appealed to them in some deeper form she couldn't express.

She would admit it. Samantha had looked at Superboy a couple of times, taking in his dark black hair, the deep blue of his eyes, the way his toned physique-

Her face burned heavily, making Samantha reach up and place her hands over her mouth in embarrassment as if she was speaking them aloud. Her cheeks flared bright in a red tint and heat rose throughout her face.

 _'Time to think about something else. Like, now!'_

So, what kind of "love" was it she felt about Superboy? Was it simply caring for him? Wanting to see him happy like a family member would? A bit trivial in a friendship kind of way?

 _'No, it doesn't feel like that.'_ She thought, shaking her head at the list of "loves" her mind checked down. _'I want to be Superboy's friend. I care about him, want him to be happy and see him smile. But I also want to be around him more. And as much as I don't want to think about it, I like to look at him. I like it when he smiles...at me. If my own body freezes up thinking about how he looks, it has to mean more.'_

For a moment in her frustration, Samantha gritted her teeth and kicked at the ice beneath her feet she skated upon, angry at the internal conflict she was feeling clash inside her.

Why the hell did she have to feel like this?! This insecurity, the fear, hesitation, embarrassment? It was terrible being a teenager sometimes.

Hearing the music began to reach its finale, Samantha spun her body in a quick motion, gaining speed with each twirl with the help of her outstretched leg. Slowly putting her leg down to skate alongside her other foot in close range, Samantha kept her feet close together and continued to spin in a tight motion, her hands raised up above her head and letting the momentum of the spin steal her focus for the last couple of seconds.

 _'I...I don't know what to do. I've never been so unsure about something before.'_

" _Let's leave together  
I'm ready now"_

The last of the song's lyrics uttering themselves out of the speakers, Samantha moved her leg out to skate along the ice, slowing her spin down until moving foot by foot to dance and jump neatly across the ice. Her speed now back to normal, Samantha sighed and twirled her body to stop in one fluid motion, reaching her left hand up to clasp her right side over her stomach while her right hand clasped her left shoulder in the opposite direction, holding herself in a graceful fashion as she stood quietly on the ice.

Letting out a sigh of icy breath and letting her hands fall to her side, Samantha opened her eyes and looked down at the frozen ice she stood on, the reflection of her brunette civilian form looking back at her in contemplation.

 _'I don't want to ignore what I'm feeling. It makes me feel stronger, like I can do anything. But at times I feel like they're taking over my mind and my body. Like I'm losing control myself. That...scares me for some reason. Not knowing what's going with my own body or mind.'_ Samantha thought, her reflection narrowing its gaze back at her and frowning.

She wanted independence so much as a hero. To get away from her father and become her own person and experience the life of a normal teen that gets to make their own choices. Now here she was, an independent new hero and making her own decisions. Yet the decisions and feelings she was experiencing were like nothing she'd made or felt before. And now she was left unsure of what to do next. How to go about it all.

Why was being a teenager so difficult?

 ***clap clap clap***

Her body stiffening at the out of the blue sound, the brunette looked up from the ice and turned her head to the source of the sudden noise.

Standing behind the ice rink barrier and dressed in a nice black shirt, leather jacket, and skin tight pants was the form of Samantha's mentor, Ice Maiden. Her long white hair flowing down along the sides of her face and keeping her blue skin hidden beneath their locks, the older woman smiled and finished her applause, leaning on the barriers' edge to look at her confused protege.

"Beautiful dance, snowflake. It has been long time since I've seen dance at Starry Sky Ice Rink. You should become world renowned ice skater when done being hero." Ice Maiden complimented.

Flushing at the compliment and audience she had, Samantha reached to her tied up hair and pulled out the tie, letting her long brunette hair fall down past her elbows and rest in smooth chocolate waves. "I would if my father didn't see it as twirling on some frozen water. I kept this a secret from him as long as I have now. If he found out I was doing this, I'm sure he'd think I was slacking off no matter what I said. It's hard enough to convince him on the hero work." Samantha responded back, skating over to her mentor.

"But more importantly, what are you doing here Ice? How did you find me?" The brunette asked, skating and skidding in front of the wall Ice Maiden stood behind.

"Butler Reginald told me. I've been looking to find you for spooky Bat. Looks like mission you wanted has arrived. You head out in hour or so." Ice Maiden spoke, a proud smile on her face.

"Really?" Samantha asked, a bit of skepticism in her voice. Wiping some sweat off her face and skating to the exit, Samantha walked back to one of the benches and began unbuckling her skates. Her eyes showing no real glimmer at the news or any sign of pure shock, Samantha kept her eyes glued on the buckles of her skates, fiddling with them more than most would. "I can't believe it."

"Yes, I can hear it in your voice." Ice Maiden responded, eyeing her protege who looked preoccupied. "Is something wrong snowflake?"

"What?" Samantha asked, taking one of her skates off and placing it on the floor. "No, I'm fine. What makes you think that?"

"You seem unenthusiastic about the mission. I expect jumps of joy, yet no jumps. Only distant look." Ice Maiden pointed out.

Samantha's hands stopped fiddling with the buckle of her second skate. For a moment she made no movements, as if she'd frozen herself solid. Yet, just as quickly as she stopped, her fingers resumed back to their task, unclipping the second device from her foot and taking it off.

"I'm...fine, Ice." Samantha hesitantly answered back.

What was she supposed to say? She was more focused on a boy than the mission she's been craving for weeks? How would that make her look?

Stupid, childish, silly? Those and more she couldn't list.

"You don't look fine snowflake. Your eyes narrow like cat when you lie."

"They do not!" Samantha retorted back, turning her head up to pout at her mentor. Unfortunately, after hearing her slip up, the teenager moved her head back down to the floor. "It's nothing important. It's trivial really. I don't have to time to talk about it anyways. I need to get to the team."

"It is not trivial if you lose focus on such momentous occasion. I will not allow you to fight in confused state. You need head out of clouds. We have time." Ice Maiden lectured, walking closer to the younger girl and sitting next to her on the bench. "Tell Sigrid about the nothing. Might help clear mind, find answer."

Samantha sighed at the predicament she was in. She knew this type of moment all too well. Sigrid was like the mother she never had, being their for her to talk about her problems, her fears, her uncertainty whenever she had them. Even when she didn't want to speak the woman found a way to dig in and get the young brunette to talk, even when she adamantly refused at times. Every time Samantha was grateful for the advice or just to have someone listen to her...

But this topic in particular? This had to be the most embarrassing she could ever talk to her mentor about. It was the kind of talks teenagers like her would have with their parents, the one's adults dreaded. There was no way she would ever ask advice to her father about this. Not because he was a bit tough to approach, but she never wanted _this_ kind of topic discussed between the two.

Reginald would have been a much better fit to ask, but there was no way Samantha would dump her teenage romance problems on her poor and very kind butles. He'd been by her side ever since she was a baby, helping to take car of her and raise her when her father wasn't around. She saw him like a real blood relative, how a family member should be with their children. But even with all that trust and love, she wouldn't tell Reginald about _this_ either.

Not to mention that she didn't want to be stuck having her mentor giving weird smiles at her and laughing at her confusion. Sigrid teased just as much as she listened.

Maybe if she worked around it? Didn't use herself in the example?

 _'This is one of those terrible ideas people use, but anything to distance myself from the actual question is good enough for me.'_

"I...It's a friend." Samantha spoke, trying to keep her voice level as she spoke her tiny lie. "She asked me for some advice and I don't know how to respond to her."

"Advice? What did friend ask about that has snowflake so confused?" Sigrid asked.

 _'Oh, how am I going to ask this without making it sound weird?'_ Samantha lamented.

"She wanted to know how you knew if you liked...or loved someone." A blush forming on her cheeks, the ice user moved her head downwards to not let her mentor see.

No answer came out of Sigrid at first. No motion for her to lift her head, no laugh, no sigh or indication she'd heard her response. Samantha was worried she'd have to repeat herself, yet just as she was about to her mentor spoke.

"Love?" Sigrid asked, a slight tone of surprise in her voice. "Friend wanted to know about love?"

She had to keep going. If she said nothing, she'd be stuck here all night. Or the very least her mentor would keep budging on the issue.

"M-my friend did, yeah. There's this guy who's...moved in her neighborhood for a few weeks now. She's been hanging out with him despite some people thinking he's a bit cold and tough to approach. He doesn't say much, but she tells me he's a nice guy." Samantha explained, trying her best to distance her information from any of the actual facts of her life.

"Mhmm," Sigrid answered, a smile gracing her face as she nodded to her protege. "Go on."

"Well," Samantha spoke. "He's been on her mind. A lot lately, and she doesn't know why. She's only known him for a few weeks and they've become friends from what I know, but the guy keeps popping up in her head out of nowhere. Whenever she has free time she thinks about him."

"Does she not like thinking about him?" Sigrid asked, eyebrow raised at the information.

"What? N-No, not really. Far from it, actually. She cares about him, even if they haven't known each other long. She tells me that she's happy whenever she thinks about him and wants him to be happy since his family life isn't so great. And she said she likes to see him smile. It makes her happy. Ecstatic even. She can't help but smile when he does." Samantha spoke, the last comment coming out in a quiet tone, her face reddening further. "But, she doesn't know if all of this is just some crush she has or if it means something more. She's never had this kind of feeling before." Samantha continued, her right hand unconsciously rising up to clasp onto her shirt, clutching the fabric above her heart.

"So she...asked me for advice." Samantha finished, swallowing a bit to rid her of her sudden case of dry mouth. "To figure out if everything she's feeling is trivial or not. Or, if it means something way more serious than she thinks."

Crossing one of her legs over the other and placing a hand underneath her chin in thought, Ice Maiden closed her eyes softly and nodded her head, going over the information her protege had given her for the past few minutes. "So this _friend_ wants to know if feelings are either crush or real love?"

"Yes, badly," Samantha answered, her voice pleading in its tone while turning to look at the older woman. "She's really confused right now and doesn't know what to do."

Turning in her seat, Ice Maiden moved her leg back to the ground and turned to look face to face with her fellow ice user. "Does friend only like this boy because he is cute?"

"W-What?" Samantha asked surprised. "N-No, of course not! She's more mature than that."

Laughing at the reaction, Ice Maiden smiled and nodded. "That is good. It means love is more than crush."

Frowning at the answer, Samantha titled her head. "What? But how do you know that?"

"Love is confusing thing. It is abstract, different from person to person. It makes one feel more than they have ever felt, yet tiny at same time. Crushes on other hand are just a few things. Desire, attraction, lust. You may like the way someone looks on outside, but that is all with crush. It can go to different people very quickly without much thought." Ice Maiden spoke, moving her fingers in a waving motion to signify the moving on of a crush.

"So if that's a crush, how do you know if it's...the other thing?" Samantha asked, a bit embarrassed to say the "L" word again.

Smiling, Ice Maiden moved her hand downward to place it over her heart. "Love is much deeper emotion. It makes different feeling for different person. It can make you feel as if chest is crushed from weight." The older woman motioned, beating her chest lightly with a closed fist. "It twists inside you like an unknown force, trying to suffocate and take control of body at the same time. Sometimes even make one feel sad, as if heart has been crushed into pieces when it is lost."

"That sounds terrifying," Samantha muttered, shivering a little at her mentor's last comment.

"It is for some. However, love is also strong. It makes one feel more powerful as if strongest on Earth. Can bring someone up from worst of times, make them feel whole if broken down. Help one feel protected against largest of fears. One never is alone if they are loved and have someone they love." Ice Maiden spoke, nodding her head thoughtfully.

Eyes widening at her mentor's explanation, Samantha looked downwards to her feet and lightly kicked them off the floor in a childish manner. Everything her mentor was saying was amazing.

They were the words of a true adult, one who has experienced the world far longer than herself. Someone with experience and confidence in their words.

She couldn't wait to become someone like that.

"So a crush is just physical attraction and love is a mystery?" Samantha asked, hoping she understood.

"Almost, but now quite." Ice Maiden corrected. Turning to look at her younger sidekick, Ice Maiden smiled. "A crush is simple attraction to someone's looks. Nothing more than what they look like. Love...it is a form of emotion that makes you think of someone else. You want them to be happy rather than yourself. You would put own happiness and pleasure above own for theirs. It is devotion towards one person."

"I...see." Samantha quietly answered, her voice at a loss for words.

Such a response. How was she supposed to know for sure what she was feeling was either of those things?

She didn't see Superboy as just some muscle and looks to fawn over.

However, she didn't know if the feelings she had went so far as Sigrid explained. Her words were so complex yet passionate in tone, Samantha couldn't discern if all of those emotions she explained were inside her at that moment.

Everything was still mixed up inside of her.

"However," Ice Maiden pointed out, her voice clear to get her protege's attention. "Love is very complex thing. You are still young snowflake dancing in wind, so you won't understand it all at first. Just try to be natural with person you hold affection for and you yourself will know soon enough if what you feel is more than crush. Let life lead you."

"O-Ok?" Samantha answered somewhat hesitantly, nodding to her mentor and slowly getting up from her seat.

"Did my advice help you figure out what to tell friend?" The white-haired woman asked, looking at the back of her sidekick, a playful eyebrow raised to her protege.

"What? O-Oh yeah, I think it did. Thanks, Sigrid." Leaning down and picking up her skates, Samantha made a move to exit the room to return the shoes, yet stopped in front of the door for a moment. "Sigrid?"

"Yes, snowflake?" Ice Maiden asked, curiosity showing on her face at the young girl's halt.

Thankful her back was turned from her mentor, Samantha rubbed her heating cheek to try and keep her thoughts straight. "If someone does find out they like...I mean love someone,"

"Yes?" Ice Maiden asked.

"Is it wrong? To try and pursue it if the person they love has never been in love? Or may not have the same feelings they do?" Samantha voiced.

Smiling sadly at the innocent question, Ice Maiden shook her head. "Snowflake, there is no person on Earth who has not loved someone who may not love them back. If you do love someone, you may pursue it, but that does not mean to force feelings on them. If they don't love you, that is that. You can't plan and hope everything works out. Love may be scary and unknowing, but it can be so wonderful as well when you find it. Or it finds you. That is what makes life so exciting and remarkable."

"Oh. Okay, just wondering. For my friend." Samantha answered. "I'm...gonna go return these. We can leave after that." With that quick comment noted, the young brunette opened the doors and headed out the exit, leaving Ice Maiden to sit alone in the ice rink.

Smiling and shaking her head at the questions her protege had asked, Ice Maiden gave a deep sigh.

"My poor snowflake is experiencing love for first time. How grown up she get."

Her eyes narrowing in contemplation at Samantha's words and questions, Ice Maiden got up from her seat and headed towards the exit.

"Few weeks and quiet? Affections must be for littler boy of steel. I'll need to watch him."

* * *

 _ **-Caribbean Sea**_

 _ **June 22nd, 20:08 ETC-**_

Silence.

That was all that was in the tiny space of the Bioship Winter could hear. Or rather not hear.

Time had passed since she and Ice Maiden had talked back at Starry Sky Ice Rink back in her hometown. Now dressed in her usual heroine uniform, stealthy white hooded cape, and added white tights to cover her legs, Winter sat with the rest of the group and awaited for the arrival of their destination.

The team's first mission was upon them and to say the least Winter was a little nervous.

 _'This is the first time I'll be going on a mission without Ice Maiden or the League's involvement. Cadmus had been a success with the help of the League coming in to clean up our mess, but this mission is all on us now. We need to be on top of it.'_

She needed to keep her head focused. Even with everything that was going on, or rather the lack of anything going in the moment she was in, Winter was reminded of the talk she and her mentor had just an hour ago.

No, this wasn't the time. She wouldn't get distracted by a boy and her feelings on their first ever mission from Batman.

If she didn't want to ruin their chances at being taken seriously and lose her hope at being recognized by the League, letting a boy take all her attention was the last thing she wanted.

Her fingers unconsciously rubbing the soft fabric of her white hooded cape for security, Winter took in a deep breath to calm her tense body, trying to get her muscles to relax and empty her brain. Nothing good would come from her being stiff and conflicting with herself.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca." Miss Martian noted aloud, her gaze staring out the window ahead, the Bioship's camera monitors zooming in on a landmass ways away.

Nobody said a thing, not even Kid Flash. All eyes set on the image of the island, the heroes did nothing but wait for their vessel to steer closer to their destination.

Santa Prisca.

The island was far off in the Caribbean Sea for normal adventurers to find and secluded enough to not be disturbed, yet it had become a hub for criminals and drug dealers to create some terrifying illegal body enhancing drugs. Venom was the street name, if Winter was remembering correctly.

 _'Disgusting.'_ Winter thought with disdain. _'To think people were making money off others misery and fear of being weak. Not even caring if it gets into the hands of kids or innocent people.'_

Or they had made money until suddenly it stopped.

From Batman's full explanation the factory on the island was running at full capacity like usual, however the shipments and supply to the outside world of the producing plant was cut off, not a single drop leaving the island.

But why? Not that Winter was complaining that a health risking drug wasn't getting onto the streets, but for something like Venom to not be shipped out after so much time to create it and get buyers? What was going on in there?

 _'It's our job to find out. Just need to be covert like Batman told us.'_ She thought, Winter's blue eyes drifting to the window outside, her reflection staring back at her.

With the mission on everyone's minds and the tense situation that was about to hit them like a speeding train, there was still something on Winter's mind about the whole mission. A point Robin had actually asked about before they got ready.

Who would lead?

The thought never crossed her mind. Whether it was the long talk with Ice Maiden, the excitement and seriousness of getting their first real covert mission, or steeling herself for the responsibility she was now being given, the idea of who would lead hadn't popped in the ice user's mind.

A decision had never been made at the cave. Batman just told them to figure it out on their own. A very Batman thing to do.

 _'They really are letting us do things on our own now.'_ Winter thought solemnly, an anxious smile growing on her face. _'Maybe this is my chance? To be a better leader rather than a follower? To show Ice I've grown since that fight at the mall? And prove to myself I can do better.'_

"Drop zone A in thirty."

Turning in her seat at the sound of the next step of the mission taking place, Winter moved her gaze towards Aqualad who stood up in his seat. Pressing a small button at the belt buckle of his uniform, the red color of his suit melted away, black morphing on his suit and changing into his new covert uniform.

"Ready." Aqualad confirmed, turning to look over to Miss Martian and continue their sequence.

Nodding to affirm, Miss Martian moved her hands along the ship's console. "Putting Bioship in camouflage mode." Waving her hand over a portion of the console, the ship's form began to disappear outside the groups view, and slowly a hatch on the floor opened up to the ocean. "Drop zone A confirmed."

"Good luck Aqualad." Winter spoke softly, a slight twinge of fear at the situation running through her.

"Thank you. I'll respond over comms when the next part of the plan is complete." Nodding to his team mates, Aqualad dived out of the Bioship and splashed into the water below.

The group now less one member, the rest of the team sat in silence awaiting the necessary response.

 _ **'Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is running in a continuous loop. Move in.'**_ The voice of Aqualad relayed over their communication devices.

 _'Thank goodness.'_ Winter thought relieved, feeling the Bioship soar through the island's field and land a few feet above their next point.

All of this was murder on her nerves as it was. The real mission for her hadn't even started yet!

"Arriving at drop zone B." Miss Martian informed the team, letting the ship power down into rest mode.

 _'Looks like our stop has finally arrived.'_ Getting up from her seat and watching it recede back into the ship's body, Winter watched cables Miss Martian called to the group descend from the ceiling. Grabbing onto one close by, she hooked it on and tugged to make sure it was secure.

Using this next opportunity to change, Kid Flash reached up and tapped his hero symbol on the center of his uniform. The color black swirling out from the symbol and spreading through each inch of his uniform, the iconic yellow of his outfit was washed away and turned black, leaving Kid Flash in his newfound stealth gear.

Taking in every inch of his new outfit, Kid Flash turned to Miss Martian and showed off his new look.

It was pretty obvious with the look on his face he was trying to impress her.

And it was sad to watch if Winter had to say anything about it.

"How cool is this?" He asked, trying to show off.

"Very impressive." Miss Martian complimented, smiling to her team mate. Closing her eyes and letting her thoughts converge on a single idea, Miss Martian's organic clothes changed in time with her thoughts, mimicking the color swamp of the group's stealth gear. Black rising up from her feet and taking away the skirt she once wore, Miss Martian opened her eyes and stood in triumph at her display, and now wore a jumpsuit of black similar to Martian Manhunter's.

"Wow, uh," Kid Flash spoke, trying to stop himself from getting lost in Miss Martian's new display. "That's cool too."

Shaking her head at the display going on, Winter eyed Kid Flash. "Please show some ettiquete Kid. You're drooling." Winter spoke up, snapping fingers nearby him to get his attention back on track.

Seeing the teasing from his team mate, the speedster looked over at the white colored heroine and smirked, looking her over. "Shouldn't you be getting changed too?"

"I was getting to that. You should never rush a lady." Winter pointed out with a smile. Reaching to the necklace around her neck, Winter tapped a finger to the small metal snowflake and watched her own stealth tech take affect on her uniform. The pristine white of her outfit dyed out from the morphing black spreading into her uniform, Winter couldn't help but twirl in a circle to check out her uniform in its entirety.

No longer was her uniform comprised of white, hints of red, and light subtle blues. Instead black and red took the center stage and shined, her shirt, jacket, skirt, tights, and boots now dyed in the midnight black color. The inside of her jacket changed to a darker blood red color along with her once white hooded cape, giving her a more mysterious flair. Lastly the frills beneath her skirt now the same dark red, Winter took ahold of her cape and inspected it for a moment to gaze at the metamorphosis with her own eyes.

"There? Does that satisfy you?" Winter asked, dropping the end of her now blood red cape to flow behind her back and pulled her hair tie out and began to braid her long strands of hair into two pigtails.

Smirking at the new outfit change, Kid Flash nodded and gave a thumbs up. "Yeah, you're good. But I got to say I'm liking the dark punk look. Black and red actually look good on you."

Rolling her eyes and resting her newly dressed hair over her shoulder and onto her chest, Winter ignored the speedster and moved her gaze over to Superboy. During the entire time the rest of the team had switched into their gear or fixed themselves up for the mission, Superboy had made no move to do anything. Didn't he get stealth gear too?

"Superboy?" Winter called, getting the clone's attention. Eyebrow raised she continued. "You aren't going to change?"

Shaking his head, Superboy crossed his harms over his chest defiantly, a firm look on his face to signify his decision. "No capes, no tights. No offense."

 _'That sounds like something you'd say.'_ Winter thought, a smile appearing on her own face. She would have loved to joke, say it out loud or make a compliment to him that he'd look fine without the tech, but she knew better.

This was not the time for her to get distracted by how much she liked Superboy in what he was already wearing. This was a mission after all and-

"It totally works for you."

 _'What?'_

Taken aback by the sudden compliment from Miss Martian, Winter swiftly turned her gaze to the martian, feeling her body tense a little at the look she was giving to Superboy.

That look.

Why was the look on Miss Martian's face to Superboy bothering her? It shouldn't, it was trivial. Nothing to care about. Miss Martian was just giving Superboy a compliment. The same thing she had thought of doing

That was all it was right?

 _'Did...Does she-'_ Winter wondered, doubt growing inside her.

And again a strange feeling clenched inside her chest. The same one she felt back in the infirmary with M'gann. The feeling she had wanted to forget since she thought it was a one time thing.

Back when Miss Martian told her Superboy had apologized to her. Before she had gotten her own apology.

Unknowingly her hands at her sides curled together into tight fists, her gaze intensifying on the martian girl.

 _'Stop looking at him like that.'_

Hearing her thoughts or subconscious speak to her suddenly, realization kicked in and Winter snapped out of her thoughts. Letting her mind clear and feeling her closed fists, the ice user loosened her tight grip and moved to gaze at her hands.

What was that? Where did that thought come from?

Shaking her head a bit to throw her strange thoughts out of her brain, Winter watched the rest of the group ready themselves, Miss Martian opening the floor hatch to the outside world.

 _'Whatever that was, it needs to stop. Focus on the mission stupid.'_ Winter scolded, gripping the cable she was clipped to tightly in her hands.

Taking the initiative Winter jumped out first, thankful the cable attached to her body helped her land gently to the ground. Robin, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian landing softly after, seconds past until each member jumped out of the way of Superboy's descent.

Winter falling over to the side and landing on her butt, she felt the ground below her shake when Superboy crashed hard onto the island surface. A crater beneath him, Superboy rose up from the ground and dusted himself off with a smirk. "Knew I didn't need a land line."

"And yet, creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the _covert_!" Robin said, his voice rising with anger from his seat nearby Miss Martian and Kid Flash.

Understanding the anger Robin had, Winter got up off the ground and dusted her skirt off of the dirt she had sat in. "It's already done with Robin. We can figure out how to fix his covertness after the mission is over."

Huffing at the suggestion posed to him, Robin crossed his arms over his chest in a childish manner and hesitantly nodded. "Fine."

"Good." Winter responded with a smile, her eyes looking over at Superboy who did not seem to look regretful about the situation they were in. "Just try to be a bit quieter okay, Superboy? We don't want to get caught already."

"Aqualad, drop b is go." Miss Martian relayed through the communication devices, floating in the air to look out at the surrounding forest.

" _ **Head for the factory. I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."**_ Aqualad replied.

"Roger that." Robin answered, taking a look at a holographic map of the island. Closing the tech and staring out at the possible routes they could take, Robin rushed into the dense forest, Superboy, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Winter following alongside.

Winter couldn't help but feel her shoulders shudder at the sounds coming from every direction. Bird caws, growls, animal calls that were normal on this island that she was not used to hearing. Strange noises plus very dark night time equaled spooky for her and she was careful to not let it show on her face.

 _'I can't wait for this mission to be over.'_ Winter thought hopeful, rushing ahead of the rest of the team.

"Too bad the rain ended. It could have really helped to mask our footsteps." Winter commented, vaulting over a tree log and hiding behind a large tree to scan the next area over. Maybe some light chat would soothe her nerves.

"As great as it would be the mud's only going to make the stealth harder. Watch where you step." Robin warned, stepping around a large lake of mud hidden in the darkness and taking his own position behind the tree to view their next route, running ahead like Winter had.

Winter's mouth formed a thin line while staring out at the continue forest. This was going to be a tough one. Everything was going as planned so far, but eventually they were going to need more direction than just go with the flow and hope they don't get caught.

 _'We still haven't talked about a team leader.'_ Winter wondered navigating around some dense tree roots and jumping to a safer part of the ground, thankful there were no rocks hidden to break her fall.

Was this a good time to discuss? They'd have to talk about it eventually. Direction would be needed in the missions to come after all. The team would want somebody capable, mature, level-headed, smart, adept.

It was obvious to herself that Winter couldn't be placed in every single one of those categories, but she wanted to try. To become a better hero and person. Leading was never her strong suit and she could not always communicate in the kind of commanding tone leaders were known for, but when someone was put into a situation where they needed to learn, to be better, the skills came out sometimes. Showed themselves when a person never thought they could exhibit them.

That could have been what she needed to turn this slump of hers around. Learn to lead by becoming a leader. Be given that responsibility, trust from her team mates. After all, no leaders in history were born knowing how to lead. They all had to learn.

"Say Robin?" Winter whispered, moving out of her hiding place to stare at the moon lighting the forest surrounding the group. "You know how Batman talked about the leader thing and how we needed to choose someone ourselves? I'm...thinking of maybe-"

"Where'd he go?!"

What?!

Turning around to see what the heck Kid Flash was yelling about, Winter felt her heart sunk at the spot where the Boy Wonder had been standing behind her.

Where he was not standing anymore.

 _'Another one of his Batman disappearing acts? Now?!'_

Guess that meant she was talking to herself those last couple of seconds.

Awkward, to say the least.

"Does anybody know which way our team mate ran off to?" Winter whispered, looking at the others for any sort of sign.

"I didn't even notice he disappeared. Does he always do that?" Miss Martian asked, moving her head back and forth to scan the trees for any sign of the younger detective.

"Only when we don't want him to." Kid Flash answered, scratching his head.

She held in a sigh. This was their first mission and people were already splitting up. They needed to stick-

"Did you guys here that?" Superboy asked, jumping into the conversation suddenly, staring out at the forest beyond their sight.

"No," Kid Flash spoke, yet looked around regardless to see if something was around them. Seeing no enemy or animal that could have made the clone was talking about, the speedster rubbed his neck in confusion. "Wait, is this one of those super hearing things?"

"You do have great ears." Miss Martian complimented, gazing at the preoccupied clone.

 _'Will you stop-'_

And just as quickly as the thought was trying to surface, Winter pushed it back again, suppressing the thought in the back of her recesses of her mind.

Her eyes darted to Miss Martian, the alien girl showing the same look she'd had back at the Bioship.

No. She said she wouldn't get distracted. She meant it, so back those thoughts went. She'd figure out what was going on with her later. When their careers weren't on the line.

And right now somebody had to be the leader. Aqualad was far off somewhere and Robin had disappeared. The two people Winter knew in her heart were capable leaders were both gone, leaving the rest of the group who did not have as wide a range of leading skills on their own to navigate.

She wanted the chance to lead. Guess the world answered her.

"We need to stick together. Keep close to the trees and stay camouflaged. We'll search for Robin as we move to the next checkpoint." Winter ordered.

Who made you leader?" Kid Flash argued.

"We need a plan of action right now and nobody else is suggesting anything. Just follow my lead KF. The sooner we finish this mission we can discuss the leader thing when we're _all_ together."

Raising a hand up, Miss Martian spoke up. "I agree too. Robin and Aqualad aren't here right now, so we do need a leader. Let's follow Winter, okay Kid Flash?"

Not giving much of a look of acceptance, Kid Flash rolled his eyes. "Fine. For you beautiful."

" _ **Superboy, Kid,"**_ Aqualad's voice spoke through the comm link. _"_ _ **Switch to infrared. See if you are being tracked."**_

"Got it." Placing his goggles over his eyes and switching his covered vision, the red-headed speedster stared out at the now visible forest ahead of them, the trees, bushes, and ground color submerged in red.

And something else.

"I've got a squad of armed bozos incoming." Kid Flash reported.

"Let's get a closer look." Winter whispered, sliding down a small patch of mud, crouching low behind a large boulder. Hearing the rest of the team come in closer, the heroine peeked around the rock, spotting a clearing ahead. "Are the ones KF spotted the only group?"

"There's two squads," Superboy reported next to her. "But they'll meet each other before they find us."

"Can you hear anything from here?"

The sounds of gun shots broke out just after Winter spoke, the heroine ducking behind the rock on instinct. Moving out of the way of the boulder, Kid Flash adjusted his goggles back to their normal vision.

"No super hearing required now."

" _ **Swing wide! Steer clear!"**_ Aqualad commanded, his voice caring urgency.

"Underst-"

"Yeah, yeah." Kid Flash spoke, cutting Winter off and moving around the rocks and towards the muddy road. "Just as soon as I find Rob."

Her patience wearing thin over Kid Flash, Winter rached out to grab the speedster. "Kid, don't be stupid. You need to stay-"

The rush of wind gently touching her cheeks and the sound of footsteps hastily drifting away, Winter gritted her teeth at the spot Kid Flash was standing, the spot now empty of her overzealous team mate.

Her fist clenching and falling to her side and shaking a bit with anger, Winter glared at the road Kid Flash ran down until she felt she'd waited long enough. A tired sigh escaping her lips, Winter motioned Miss Martian and Superboy to follow her. "C'mon. We better make sure that dolt doesn't get himself killed."

Careful of the fresh mud masking the road, Winter jumped lightly off the ground and landed in the mud, leaning in to skate down the dirt path like how she did with her own ice. Seeing the bottom of the hill getting closer and closer, Winter moved her eyes upward to the clearing she had spotted back when the group had been hiding.

There she spotted the groups that Kid Flash and Superboy had mentioned. With one wearing red cloaks and masks and the other wearing clothes similar to gangs and thugs...

And Kid Flash had a gun pointed in his face!

"That dolt!" Throwing a ray of ice on the ground below her to hasten her speed, Winter sped down the rest of the hill and skated into the battlefield, her mind racing with plans to get her ally out of danger.

Aiming as best she could, Winter threw a ray of ice towards the ground between Kid Flash and the larger gun man, the spark of the powers making the gunman and others step back in surprise at the unknown attack.

Skidding to a stop in the space between Kid Flash and the assailant, Winter gritted her teeth and glared at the masked man, her mind taking note that he looked familiar.

She didn't have time to place the face though.

"Another one! These rats are popping out all over the place! Get em'!" The masked man roared, his senses recovering and moving his hand upward with gun in hand towards Winter.

 _'I need to move!'_

Time was starting to slow down around her, as if water was restricting her movements. The sound of her own heartbeat was ringing in her ears, the gun looking so small to her before growing in size as the barrel was just a few inches from pointing at her face.

The masked man moving his finger to press the trigger of his weapon, Winter rushed her motor skills to move faster than she ever wanted them to. Outstretching her arm and swinging it around her in a large arcing circle, Winter willed the ice on the ground around her to move in time with her commands and shut her eyes in fear of what may come.

 ***Bang***

The ringing of a gunshot invaded her ears, the smell of gunpowder invading her nose.

Was she dead?

Unsure of her fate Winter slowly opened her eyes, her vision once squeezed tight readjusting to the colors around her. Her vision finally clearing back up, she sucked in a breath, stepping back a bit in fear at what she saw.

A bullet, frozen in time.

A single piece of metal, so trivial in size yet so powerful to take down a human being, was staring right at her, trapped in her icy shield. It must have been the shot she heard.

If she had been a second too late Kid Flash would have...

If _she_ had been a second too early _she'd_...

"Wow, are you okay? That was...close." Kid Flash spoke up, his usual cheery and sarcastic voice replaced with concern and shock.

Her team mate's voice snapping out of her surprised stupor, Winter felt a shiver run down her spine as if her senses wee trying to reconnect itself with her body. Feeling like she was able to move and speak, the white-haired teen angrily turned to look at Kid Flash.

Fire burned in her eyes, and chilling fog dissipated off her her shaking fists, their color white from squeezing them too hard.

"Of course it was you idiot!" Winter yelled, anger swelling up inside her, wanting to be released.

God, she was so angry! How could Kid Flash be so irresponsible like that!?

"I told you not to run off! We nearly got killed because of your stunt and not wanting to listen Aqualad or me! Just help take these guys down and fast. You at least owe me that much for saving your butt."

Getting up from the ground and deciding not to argue after the lecture he got, Kid Flash adjusted his goggles and readied himself to run, looking over to Winter. "Yeah, got it."

Nodding at his answer, Winter turned to look at the ice that surrounded the two heroes, noticing the blobs of shadowed figures surrounding the sanctuary she created, muffled whispers traveling through the walls. Heavy set groups of men with guns all around them.

They needed some cover.

"You remember that team attack pattern we practiced?"

"The weirdly named one?"

Winter resisted the urge to glare at Kid Flash, her focus necessary for the plan to work. "Yes, that one. I'm going to shatter the shields. Once I do and call out the name, run as fast as you can to spread it out and make cover. And this time don't run at enemies half-cocked. We need to find the others."

"Yes ma'm." Kid Flash answered, his joking attitude gone and replaced with the serious tone of a hero.

Taking a shaky breath to calm her nerves and prepare for the next phase of her plan, Winter watched her hands glow their familiar light blue light, icy fog flowing off her fingertips and palms. Reaching her hand up into the air and closing it into a fist, Winter roared and slammed her fist into the ground, activating her powers.

An explosion rang out, like the sound of shattering glass.

The shields of ice breaking into shards and disintegrating further into flakes of snow in the air, Winter looked up from her position, her eyes darting back and forth at the many weaponized enemies around them. Most were shielding their eyes from the shards of ice still flying in the air, meaning they had their chance.

Raisin g her voice as loud as she could, Winter called out the attack pattern.

"WHITEOUT!"

Hearing his cue, Kid Flash sped off as ordered and began rushing in a circling pattern around Winter. Rushing around the battlefield at a constant rate, his speed began to create a great gust of wind, picking up the frosty fog that had started to take over the area. Controlling it with his speed, Kid Flash continued running until the fog had reached to the ends of the battlefield, masking the vision of the two groups.

"Take em' down!" Running off to pick off a gunman nearby her, Winter ran towards the unsuspecting man and jumped, moving her leg to kick ta cloaked in the face. The force too much for him, he fell to the ground unconscious giving Winter enough time to move through the dense fog.

More sounds began to invade the area. Gun shots (thankfully not in her line of sight), yelling, orders in another language, and crashes. From the sounds of it, it seemed like their side was winning.

 _'Miss Martian and Superboy must have jumped in.'_ Winter thought, ducking to the ground and sweeping her feet beneath a red-cloaked enemy. Seeing him fall, Winter shot a ray of ice over his body, freezing him to the ground and unable to move.

The fog slowly beginning to fade away higher into the air, the ice user scanned the forest that began to show itself once again. Trees and bushes were starting to become visible, along with an array of downed bad guys.

It was going well!

"You!"

Or maybe adrenaline was making her feel optimistic.

Turning back to see who had yelled, Winter rolled out of the way of a bullet hitting her, landing on her knees and hastily getting up to shoot a ray of ice towards whoever had shot her. The attack missing by a few feet, Winter looked up and gritted her teeth at the sight of the masked man who had almost shot her through the head.

"You're not getting away little chica. I'm not going to miss this time!" The masked man threatened, shaking flakes of ice off his shoulder and pointing his gun back in her direction.

"Not if I can help it!" Winter retorted back, throwing her arm forward and shooting a cold chill of ice towards the gun in the masked man's hand.

This time the attack hit, the gun freezing and the barrel covered in a thick layer of ice. His eyes flaring up with rage, the man chucked his gun off somewhere and decided on a direct approach, rushing towards Winter like a bull ready to break down anything in its path. Now in a closer proximity, the masked man swung a fist in Winter's direction.

Ducking away from the punch and back flipping to get some distance, Winter flung a ray of ice on the ground, smirking as the man slipped a bit. "What's wrong? Having a little trouble walking?"

"You cheeky little.." Too angry to finish the rest of his insult, the masked man raised his leg up and slammed it hard onto the icy ground Winter created, the force shattering the frozen trap to pieces. Taking the hero by surprise, the man reached out and grabbed onto the collar of her uniform, tugging her close to his face. "Let's see if you can survive a cracked skull." Lifting the girl off the ground and turning his body at a fast pace, the masked man lifted Winter over his shoulder and pulled his arm downwards, ready to smash her right into the ground.

"Let her go!" Flying through the air and stopping nearby, Miss Martian swung her arm out and called upon her telekinesis, willing it towards the masked man.

A sudden invisible force slamming into his chest like a hard punch, the man let go of Winter's collar, his body pushing far back into a tree and crashing into it before sinking to the ground unconscious.

Feeling herself fly through the air, Winter turned her body back upright the best she could in her condition, gritting her teeth at the sight of the hard ground getting closer and closer to her. Knowing the landing was going to be a hard one she shut her ice blue eyes, ready for the impact...

It was...softer than she expected.

She'd fallen hard before. A rush of warmth would head to the area she fell on, with the rush of pain following after. Neither of them came however.

Did she fall harder than she expected and just not know it?

Opening her eyes the ice user huffed, the red of her cape in her eyes. The cloth fallen over her face, Winter pushed it off of her and found herself staring into blue eyes, the eyes and face of Superboy.

 _'Did Superboy catch me? Wow, he really is strong.'_ Winter couldn't help but note in her mind.

"You okay?" Superboy asked, looking down at the rattled form of Winter.

Her pigtails pushed over her face and a few strands of her hair out of place from being thrown around in the fight, Winter made no move to speak, her eyes just looking at her comrade, trying to find her voice.

The mission had barley started for the team.

The group was getting separated from each other.

She'd nearly been shot through the head.

Thrown across the battlefield literally like a sack of potatoes. (Curse the world for making her so tiny.)

The battle may have been over, but there was still more to come.

So what did she have to say about it all now that she finally had time to breathe, carried in the arms of a boy she was having very mixed feelings about?

"Yeah," Winter breathed out, her shoulders slumping in a relaxed position. Her eyes never wavered from Superboy, the ice blue of her irises never breaking from his dark blue. "Nice catch."

She felt her lips turn upward into a small smile, the tension leaving her body making Winter feel light and ticklish.

Superboy just smirked back at her before helping her to stand back up on her feet.

If only she could stay in those arms longer.

* * *

"I recognize these uniforms." Robin noted, crouching down in front of some of the men tied up to a tree.

Minutes had passed since the entire team had grouped back up. The battle Kid Flash and Winter had started had gotten the attention of all the members, thankfully placing them all back in the same spot to regroup.

It wouldn't have been as much of a problem however if Robin hadn't of run off. He said something about being covert and following his lead, but even for Winter and knowing the way Robin operated, ditching the group was a bit of a bad decision.

But that was pushed aside for another time, the team focusing their attention on the goons. Tying them to trees with the help of Robin's handy cables, the teens stood off to the side looking over every member they had fought off and captured.

Robin in particular taking an interest in some of them.

"They're a part of the Cult of the Cobra." He finished, getting up from the ground and staring at each member from behind his mask.

"Why would a cult be all the way out here on some island?" Winter asked, standing off to the side with Superboy, Miss Martian next to Aqualad.

"I am certain Batman would have informed us if he knew a dangerous extremist group was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation." Aqualad noted, placing a hand on his chin as he thought about the situation.

"Would that explain why Venom has been cut off? They could be the ones in control of the island." Miss Martian suggested, staring down at the hooded cultists.

Snapping his fingers and smiling, Robin turned to point a finger to Miss Martian. "You got it."

"Great, we got it." Kid Flash spoke up, kicking a random rock. "Kobra wants super cultists. Case closed. Let's radio Batman and we'll be home in time for-"

"These cultists aren't on Kobra Venom, they're hoarding it." Robin pointed out confidently, turning back to look at Kid Flash. "We don't leave, not until I know why." The Boy Wonder explained, his gaze turning downward to let his mind think.

"Until you know why?" Kid Flash repeated, eyes narrowing at the shorter teen.

 _'Oh great, here we go again.'_ Winter thought, her eyes glaring at the two boys starting to argue a few feet away.

"Hey, this team needs a _leader_."

"And it's you? Dude, you're a _thirteen year old kid_ who ducked out on us without a word!"

"And you're a mature fifteen year old? Pfft. You blew our cover first chance you got!"

"How long are those two going to argue?" Miss Martian asked from her spot, watching their fellow team mates go back and forth.

"Don't underestimate the male ego. They could be going at it for hours if they could." Winter joked lightly, turning to smile at the martian. "You want to try and be the leader?"

Shaking her head, Miss Martian smiled. "No, I don't think I'm leader material. I already messed up with Mister Twister thing and nearly quit on my first day. I think I need a confidence boost before I try any leading. What about you Winter?"

Winter lost her smile and uncertainty crossed her face. "Who, me? I...don't really know."

"You'd be great. You helped make me feel better with Mister Twister and you made that great plan to take him down. Not to mention you saved Wally from a really bad situation earlier. I'm sure the team would work great under your leadership." The green-skinned alien praised, nodding her head to affirm what she was saying.

"Thanks for the compliments, but I'm still not sure myself," Winter answered, scratching her cheek. "I want to really, but I don't know if anybody would take me seriously. You saw how Kid Flash ignored my orders before just being a makeshift leader. If I can't command respect as myself, how can I do that as a leader?"

 _'Not to mention those weird thoughts I had about you, Miss Martian. A leader should never think so rudely about their own team mate.'_ Winter mused, her eyes shifting from the martian to the ground.

"I think you'd be a good leader." Superboy spoke from Winter's left.

The ice user turned to the new voice, her eyes staring back at Superboy's. "Y-You think so too?"

Looking over to the two conversing girls, Superboy nodded and continued. "You did your best with what you had. I'm sure you'd kick some major butt as team leader with some more practice. You already showed you're willing to protect us with the way you blocked that bullet."

Warmth crawling up her neck and flowing to her cheeks, Winter lowered her head a bit to hide her blush, her fingers twirling one of her pigtails. "You guys saw that?"

"Of course we did. Superboy and I got so worried. We thought you were..." Miss Martian spoke, but shook her head, dismissing the darker thought that crossed her mind. "We rushed as fast as we could after Superboy saw what happened. You really risked yourself for Kid Flash, Winter. Like a real hero and leader would."

Blush shading into a deeper red, Winter smiled sheepishly to her team mates. "More like dumb luck. If I hadn't been fast enough I wouldn't be standing here. It was a bad decision all around really. But still, thank you for the support. I hope I can count on you guys to vote me team leader. Once I figure out how it all works." Winter joked, laughing at her joking words.

"You don't even have superpowers!"

"Neither does Batman!"

" _Dude_ , you're no Batman!"

"Closest thing we've got!"

Her laughter slowly dying down at the sounds of more insults being thrown by Robin and Kid Flash, Winter scratched her head and pulled the hood of her red cape over her head. If only to try and block out some of the loud yellings they were making.

"I'll go...try and stop their fighting." Winter spoke up, waving to her team mates, walking quietly over to the two arguing boys. "Hey, can you guys keep it down? I know you both want to keep butting heads over who gets to be king of the hill, but this is still a covert mission whether we got into a fight or not." The older teen pointed out, whispering to the two in a harsh tone to get them to understand.

"It's not my fault KF's being unreasonable," Robin argued, pointing to the speedster.

"Well maybe if somebody would actually communicate with his team rather than run off on his own, I'd be more reasonable as team leader." Kid Flash retorted.

"Oh, you are so not team leader."

"And you are? You can't even-"

"Okay, you both need to cool down for a few seconds." Winter replied, not wasting any time with the two boys. Using her ice powers to chill her hands to a freezing temperature, Winter grabbed onto both Kid Flash and Robin and placed an icy hand on both their cheeks.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Both heroes jolting in shock at the cold touch of the ice user, both Robin and Kid Flash rubbed their freezing faces, a light icy sting running through their face.

"What the heck was that for?" Kid Flash asked, annoyance showing.

"I'd like an explanation too." Robin added, hissing at the cold feeling on his cheek.

This had to be what it was like to have siblings. Younger, childish siblings.

But she had to put her foot down. If not for the team or the mission, but for herself. To be taken seriously. Somebody had to say when enough was enough and get the show back on the road. It was time to boost her confidence and tell the two teens what was going to happen.

On her terms.

"You guys were getting heated up over nothing." Winter pointed out, deactivating her powers and letting the glow on her hands disappear. "I know the leadership thing is a big deal and all, but we're all still on a mission for the League. Right now our job is to figure out what's going on with the Venom and get out of here."

"Hah, see? Told you?" Kid Flash gloated, eyebrow raised at Robin.

"However," Winter added. "This Kobra thing is big. We should look into it, for Batman and the League's sake. The more information we can give him the better the report will be. Not to mention that just leaving the island without knowing anything about why the crazy cult guys are here may bite us in the butt in the future."

"Yeah, I did." Robin retorted, turning his head to look at Kid Flash who was now frowning.

" _So_ ," Winter spoke, getting the two boys to stop arguing and look at her. "for now let's drop the team leader thing and try to work together like we have before. That way we can find out what's going on with this Venom plant operation and make this a success. You know, like we've all wanted to since Cadmus."

"I couldn't agree more," Aqualad spoke up, walking over to the group and resting a hand on Winters' shoulder. "Let us follow Winters' suggestion. We will decide on the situation of team leader another time."

Robin and Kid Flash standing in silence for a few moments to take all of the discussion in, the two boys turned their gazes back to each other, keeping eye level before turning back to look at Winter. A a smile and smirk appearing in her direction, both boys nodded, with Kid Flash adding a shrug of his shoulders.

"Alright, but this better not mean freezing my face is always going to be a go-to thing if we argue." Kid Flash pointed out.

"Seconded. And while the whole leader thing may be whelmed right now, let's at least agree I know how to be more covert than our resident super speedster."

"Hey!"

Winter felt herself smile, her body warming up with confidence and strength at the sight of her team mates, once-bickering back and forth at each other, smirking and joking around like they usually did.

Was this what it was like? Being a leader? Telling team mates how to work together and diffusing fights and arguments during missions? Helping them agree and feel better?

It...was not as bad or tough as she thought it would be.

Perhaps she was cut out to be a leader for the team after all.

The night was still young though. And that meant there was more time to really screw things up.

Hopefully, no more guns would be pointed in her face for the duration of the night.

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter. ;3

Sorry this took a while longer than I wanted it too. A lot of things are getting in the way, plus my grandmother just passed away as I write this, so I wasn't feeling too hot for a bit. But don't let my personal stuff get in the way of you enjoying your reading.

I don't know when the next chapter will show up. My school work is piling up with papers and I'm trying to pass a match class, so it may take longer than I want it to. It won't be out by the end of April I think, so sorry in advance.

Umm...I'm not sure what else to write down here at the moment. My mind is kind of jumbled. So...

You don't have to, but if you get the chance call your grandparents, tell them you love them. You really feel a hit inside when you realize you could have spent more time with them, talk with them. It puts everything into perspective. You don't have to of course. It's your decision, but if you have the time and want to, go ahead. :)

So, bye guys. Have a good day/night/whatever time it is.

Next Chapter: Drop Zone Pt. 2


	10. Drop Zone Pt 2

I'm back again! And with a new chapter too! Hope everyone is having a good time with whatever it is they do. XD

I think it didn't take too long for this to come out, at least I hope so as I type this. If it took too long again I apologize. However, we're here now so let's look forward to some good action, some sleuthing from our young heroes, and getting some plot rolling.

Poor Winter. The girl just wants to be a leader, but she's having some hard time trying to wrap her head around the idea, even with the confidence from some of her other teammates. She's also got to deal with those weird feelings about Superboy, not to mention the sudden thoughts she had about Miss Martian too!

Somebody may be feeling jealousy for the first time. *winks*

There is still time though, so maybe our little ice user will find a way to better herself and help this mission succeed all around. You'll just have to read to find out!

Please read and review if you get a chance. :3

* * *

"I don't like this. We shouldn't be talking to him at all."

It was the second time she'd said it, the thought just about everyone on the team had to be thinking. It was a bad idea, wasn't it? Winter was pretty sure that it was. At least from what she could see.

That smirk on the face of Bane that was pointed in her direction, the smugness in that cocky grin. Everything just felt like a mess. A mess that seemed to lead them up to this moment.

The group had gotten to a standstill after Winter had broken up a contest of ego's between Robin and Kid Flash; thankfully it ended peacefully.

But now the group was unsure of where to get next on their mission.

Their cover had been blown.

The use of force had become necessary on the island.

She nearly got her face blown off!

Everything was just...a jumbled mess.

And then _he_ started talking. Or rather...

"Ah, are you still mad about the little scuffle we got into earlier _chica_?" The masked man, Bane, asked from his seat, his body still tied neatly to a tree nearby. "I would be mad too, but all of that was in good fun."

He was _still_ talking.

Winter gritted her teeth, her blue eyes flaring up into a glare towards the masked man. "You tried to shoot me in the head and then smash my skull into the ground. I wouldn't call that _good fun_. And it only adds to my point for why we shouldn't be listening to a single word you say."

"I'm with Winter on this one. I'd rather not get pulled into whatever weird scheme he's got up his sleeve. Or mask." Kid Flash pointed out, pointing a thumb at the tied up villain.

"So none of you clever _Ninos_ want to hear about my secret entrance into the factory? I can get you there without any trouble." Bane explained, smirking at his reveal.

Turning her gaze to Bane, Miss Martian let her powers of telepathy focus in on the mind of Bane, the martian's eyes glowing green indicating her powers were at work. "He's...telling the truth."

"What? You've got to be kidding me." Robin spoke, his eyes widening behind his mask at the information.

"Is there anything Miss Martian?" Aqualad asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

Her eyes narrowing as she pressed her powers harder, Miss Martian groaned tiredly and shut her powers down, her eyes losing their glow. Sighing and giving a light glare to Bane, she shook her head. "He is, but I can't figure it out. He keeps repeating futbol scores and Espanol. This might take a while."

 _'Of all the people to have information to help us, it has to be him?!'_ Winter thought, her hand tightening into a fist at her side.

What were they supposed to do? Their mission had become more complicated with the introduction of some super cult, a turf war on an island was going on, and now their covert operation was blown to bits. If they wanted to make this mission a success and not get caught, they'd need to use every resource they could find. Nothing good would come from them just guessing and hoping it all worked out.

Not when they had guns and who knew what else threatening to be pointed at them.

 _'But him?! He already tried to kill all of us with his goons. What makes us so sure he won't do it again if we put our trust in him?'_

Crossing her arms over her chest and letting her mind ping pong back and forth the various possibilities that could happen trying to trust Bane, Winter groaned and turned her back away from the tied up villains. Quietly motioning Aqualad to do the same, the ice user looked up to the older teen for advice. "What do you think we should do?"

Staring at the ice user for a moment, the Atlantean looked over his shoulder to the form of Bane, the older masked man grinning from ear to ear and watching the teens for an answer.

"We are at a disadvantage in our current state. We will need all the information we can to traverse the island and find the Venom source, but I can see the concern about agreeing to this...temporary partnership." Aqualad said, moving his vision back to listen to the rest of the team's opinions.

"Not to mention he's got his own crew with him," Robin added, moving in close to talk with the older heroes. "If he's here fighting for territory, he's got to be the one to own this plant before Kobra settled here."

"So if we get help from him, will he want us to help him in exchange?" Miss Martian questioned, moving over to the huddled group.

"We wouldn't do anything like that beautiful. He's the bad guy and we're the good guys after all." Kid Flash pointed out, raising his eyebrows in what appeared to be a smooth fashion.

Superboy raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Then why are we even thinking about getting his help?" Eyes shifting to Bane, Superboy moved his gaze away to stare at the island from the cliff. "We can do this ourselves. Just leave him here."

"If we do that," Winter spoke up, "we risk getting into more trouble than we already have. We've had enough trouble staying in something close to a formation and plan of attack together; leaving him here on his own with whatever knowledge he may have may just bite us in the butt later.

I don't want to trust this guy, but at this point, I'd be willing to take the chance." Winter explained, eyes moving to look at every one of her teammates. She sighed, closing her eyes and shrugging her shoulders. "He can't take us all on himself. If we all just keep an eye on him-"

"Hahahaha." Bane chuckled, cutting Winter off and making the group of teens turn their heads. "This is not as complicated as _ninos_ think. It is simple. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Frowning at the answer, Winter turned her attention away from Bane and looked at the rest of her teammates. "Do we have any other options?"

Hearing no answer from the rest of the team at first and shrugs in her direction, the ice user huffed tiredly.

This was not going to be easy.

"Let's us use this opportunity for now," Aqualad spoke, eyes moving to every member of the group. "I will take point behind him. Superboy and Winter and can stay nearby to immobilize him if necessary, Miss Martian and Kid will hold the back line of defense in case of outside attacks. And Robin, you keep any eye out around us. Set traps if any of Bane's associates try to follow."

All the teens nodding in unison, the group turned back around to face the tied up villain grinning in their direction.

"Hahaha. Looks like we've got a deal, eh?" Bane replied, the obvious joy at their new situation evident on his face.

Winter's eyes only glared harder at Bane.

That good bubbly feeling she had a while back about everything going sort of smoothly just popped.

* * *

The group had followed Bane, letting the criminal lead them to whatever helpful hints he had. Each one of them had kept a good eye on him to be sure nothing fishy was going on, but in the end, they didn't have to. He actually led them somewhere useful.

Now the group, plus Bane, stood atop a large cliff out looking most of the island. Far off was the site of their mission, the Venom product warehouse lit and operating as described from Batman.

"What do you see Robin?" Winter asked, her eyes scanning out to the island's expanse.

Crouched low to the ground and peeking through his binoculars, Robin smirked. "Product, and lots of it. There _is_ a buy going down. But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects..."

"That means we will just have to identify the buyers." Aqualad concluded, his eyes glued to the factory far off in the distance.

"Just what I was thinking." Kid Flash added, moving his goggles to stare at the factory with his enhanced lenses.

"Yeah, you're the thinker." Robin commented, snorting at the speedsters' attempt to sound mature.

"Dude, sarcasm? Really? So not leader material."

"Ahem." Winter mustered in a closed fist, projecting her voice loud enough to catch the attention of Kid Flash and Robin. There was no way she was going to have to hear these two argue with each other again after just getting them to agree to tone down their egos. "Back to the mission guys."

Motioning for the two arguing teens to follow the others, the group of young heroes slid down a small hill and reached what appeared to be a mine shaft. Bane clutching onto a large boulder and lifting it off the ground, the villain threw the rock off to the side, the thud of the rock echoing in Winters' ears.

"Your answers are this way." Bane said, motioning with a slight turn of his head for the group to follow behind him into the newly made secret tunnel.

Her contempt for Bane still lingering inside her head, Winter took a hesitant step forward before going down the mining tunnel, standing close by Miss Martian who walked behind her as they took their positions in case Bane did anything.

Ice blue eyes shifting to look at her fellow teammate, Winter caught the attention of Miss Martian and moved a hand up to point to her own head, giving a familiar signal the two had practiced days ago.

Miss Martian noticing the motion and nodding, she closed her eyes and let her telepathic powers reach towards Winter, the two connecting into a mind link with one another.

" _ **Winter? Can you hear me?"**_ Miss Martian asked telepathically, her eyes opening and looking to her white-haired teammate.

Winter spoke nothing out loud but nodded her head to signal she had. _**"Yeah, we're good. I thought it'd be better to speak telepathically since we don't want anything to slip into masked marauder's ears over there."**_ Winter explained, shifting her eyes to Bane.

" _ **I can't believe we're teaming up with him. Isn't this against some sort of Justice League rule? I don't think my uncle would approve of this at all."**_ The voice of the martian echoing through Winters' head, hesitation clear despite no words spilling from her lips.

" _ **I know the feeling. I'm sure Ice Maiden would be flipping out if she found out, but we have no other choice right now. The most important thing is learning who the Venom buyers are, gather as much info as we can without getting caught, and speeding out of here. Since the stealth was a bust, we need all the cheats we can to get this right.'**_

Miss Martian nodded, her gaze looking over to the figure of Bane up ahead. Frowning, she moved her gaze downward. _**"And if Bane really has something up his sleeve? What then?"**_

Winter smiled, shaking her head at the martian. _**"It's pretty likely he's got something planned to betray us or mess up our plans. His goal is probably to get this place back into his control, so all we need to do is finish our mission as fast as we can and apprehend him before he does get the slip on us. Then we throw him and his goons into a jail cell and boom, the mission is a success."**_

Miss Martian moved her gaze away from the dirt path and looked to Winter, the ice user's smile a bit infectious and appearing on her own face. _**"You make it all sound so easy."**_

Winter could only shake her head at her team mate's comment. _**"Yeah, only in my head. Trust me. I'd love it to be as easy as it sounds, but the only way it'll go that way is if we all work together. Robin and Kid Flash espe-"**_

"Hey, what'cha guys talking about?"

Her thoughts caught off by the newest voice and clenching her teeth at the invasive sound of the teams' speedster, Winter and Miss Martian turned their gazes to spot Kid Flash walking close between them, a curious look on his face.

" _ **Of course he shows up right when I mention him."**_

Ice blue eyes moved to silently communicate with her fellow female teammate.

" _ **Think I should answer him?"**_ Winter telepathically asked.

" _ **Probably? It'd be rude not to."**_ The martian answered back, shrugging as she shined a forgiving smile to Winter.

Winter sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

" _ **Fine."**_

Eyebrow raised, Winter gave an irritated look to Kid Flash. "I'm pretty sure neither Miss Martian nor I spoke out loud, so I don't see how you'd be able to even ask about what we may have been _talking_ about KF. And if we did, it isn't any of _your_ business."

"Aww cmon, don't push me out like that. I totally could see you talking with Miss M through her mind linky thing." The speedster answered, speeding over to walk alongside Winter. "You were both talking with your eyes and everything for like, five minutes. Tops."

"Yeah? So what?" Winter asked, hoping to get some understanding of the speedsters sudden interest.

Rolling his eyes, the speedster moved a little closer, leaning over to whisper to Winter. "So, I was hoping I could get in on some of that private conversation? I'd like to get a little one on one time with beautiful. I'm sure we've got a lot in common we could talk about. Her being a hero, me being a hero. Get some quality time away from the others" The speedster whispered, raising his eyebrows in a playful manner to Miss Martian.

Holding in the urge to gag at the creepish display of affection Kid Flash was trying to push onto Miss Martian, Winter shook her head in disbelief. "Wow, KF. You really know how to set your priorities. It's criminal to think you aren't team leader the way you... _think_ of others." She said, sarcasm obvious from her tone.

"Yep," Kid Flash answered, not understanding the sarcasm in her comment. "I'm gonna be one great team leader once I seal the deal on this mission. But don't worry. I'll still be the same old Kid Flash you know and love. Just even more awesome."

Winter simply shook her head at Kid Flash's' answer, turning her head away from the speedster to look at Miss Martian.

" _ **I'm so sorry you have to deal with his stupidity. If he gets on your nerves, tell me and I'll freeze his mouth shut."**_ Winter telepathically said to Miss Martian, the teen nodding to affirm she meant what she said.

Miss Martian, bless the alien, simply smiled at Kid Flash's comments and gave a friendly smile to Kid Flash before turning her gaze back to her fellow female teammate. _**"It's okay. He's just...trying to be nice."**_

" _ **More like annoying."**_

Watching Miss Martian simply nod and listen to Kid Flash talk, Winter let her eyes wander the tunnel the group walked through. It went far deeper than she could have expected. Most likely ten minutes in and the group hadn't reached the factory entrance Bane had spoke of yet.

For all she knew that meant it could be a trap, but with the tunnel only having one entrance and exit, that couldn't have been the case. Bane wouldn't trap himself down here just to get them out of the way.

Yeah, he seemed way more selfish than that.

 _'Everything will be fine. If he tries anything, we've got enough firepower to take him down before he tries anything on us. Superboy is strong enough alone to stop Bane.'_ Winter thought, her gaze moving to said boy walking behind Bane.

 _'Yeah, he's strong enough. He could take on anything that came his way. I'm sure of it. He's stubborn sometimes, but he knows how to fight.'_ Winter surmised, nodding her head to convince herself of her own opinion. Her eyes wandered further to roam the backside of the super clone, only to stop herself and curse herself mentally. _'Not again, you idiot! You already made it a point not to get distracted by Superboy again. You can figure out all this confusing like or love stuff you're feeling later after the mission-"_

" _ **Um...Winter?"**_

Holding a squeak of fear from escaping her lips, Winter felt her body freeze up, surprise taking over her body at the familiar voice of Miss Martian.

Slowly the cogs in her mind began to spin again, and bit by bit the pieces of what had just happened began to form together, making the ice user realize what she just did.

 _'Oh no! How could I forget about the mind link! How could I be so stupid!?'_ Winters' voice screamed in her own head. She berated herself, the teen feeling like her body was going to implode from the embarrassment. _'B-But that means she heard about Superboy! And the like love thing! And...and can hear me now? I mean, can she still hear me?'_ Winter thought, trying to piece together the confused logic jumping around in her head.

Her thoughts were private, but with a mind link, her thoughts were just as plain as anybody speaking out loud to someone. If she thought something than Miss Martian would be able to hear her, no matter how private she thought her own thoughts were.

Maybe if she was lucky she was thinking in a whisper? Was that possible?

Frowning but keeping eye contact with Miss Martian, Winter telepathically spoke. _**"Miss Martian? Did you...hear all of that? And everything else just now? D-Don't say anything. Just nod for yes and shake your head for no."**_

Winter didn't believe in any higher being, but at that moment she was praying deep inside that the martian had heard nothing.

Miss Martian, her eyes shifting back and forth from the ground, her feet, a wall, and to the other members of the team, the martian telepathy finally moved her eyes up to look to Winter, and slowly but surely nodded her head.

No holy being was going to save her from dying of embarrassment.

Realization hitting her hard, Winter pressed her hands to her face, covering herself in shame. _'Ugh, she did hear me! I mean, she can! She can still-'_

" _ **I-I didn't mean to."**_ Miss Martian's voice interjected in her head, making Winter groan again in her hands at being caught by Miss Martian. _**"You were thinking a little loud that's all. I couldn't ignore it. I'm sorry."**_

" _ **I,"**_ Winter started but fumbled within her mind to figure out the words she wanted to think back. To not look even more stupid. _**"I know. It isn't your fault M'gann. I'm just mad at myself for being dumb and forgetting our heads were still linked together. I made you listen to some pretty awkward stuff."**_

Nodding to show she understood, Miss Martian moved her gaze away for a moment, only to have it slowly land back onto Winter, smiling apologetically. _**"It's no trouble."**_

The two girls broke eye contact, their eyes drifting way from each other for a few moments to let the delicate situation pass. Both words and thoughts halted for a few seconds, silence shared between the two. That was until Winter heard her friend's voice rise up.

" _ **Umm...Winter?"**_

Winter turned her head to face Miss Martian.

" _ **What is it, Miss Martian?"**_

Miss Martian's eyes drifted away from Winter's gaze. Moments passed, but slowly her green eyes looked back.

" _ **Do you...like Superboy?"**_

It was such an innocent question to ask, yet Winter felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.

So she had heard _everything_.

Was this one of those moments you wished you could just fall into a dark pit and hide forever?

She had to say something. She couldn't just ignore her friend after all, no matter how much she did not want to acknowledge such a question. Especially to someone she was sure might have feelings for the same guy. And...had thought some means things about her.

" _ **Winter, I can still hear you."**_

Her mouth turned downwards into a frown, her ice blue eyes looking to Miss Martian, her teammate looking at her with a mix of confusion and sadness.

How many times could she make the same mistake in such a short time span?!

" _ **I...uhh-"**_

"We're here."

Both girls breaking eye contact and the mental conversation they were sharing, both them and the rest of the team turning to look at the large metal door that stood in their path. Turning his head back to look at the teens with him, Bane gave them all a serious look. "You kids better be ready for whatever may come."

Hearing the seriousness in Bane's voice, Winter gritted her teeth.

There was no time to fix the newest situation she'd made with Miss Martian. Not when they were about to start the real part of their mission.

Winter turned her head to look at Miss Martian; moving her hand in a slicing motion across her neck.

" _ **Miss Martian, I promise I'll explain all that weird stuff, but not right now. Later, when we aren't risking our lives. Just sever the mind link for now, please?"**_ Winter asked tenderly.

Seeing the martian nod and feeling the link break away from her mind, Winter sighed with relief at the feeling of her mind in solitude. Smiling and whispering a quick "thank you" to Miss Martian, Winter grabbed the ends of her hood and placed it over her, hoping it was hiding the blush of embarrassment glazing over her cheeks.

It was time to get back to business.

"All clear." Robin relayed from his spot ahead of the group, his eyes darting around the factory room before dashing off ahead of the group.

"Robin, wait for us." Winter whispered back, following alongside the rest of the team into the factory.

Going in, she expected a wide number of soldiers around ever corner, guns ablaze the moment they walked in, or at least some heavy security blocking the doors. The usual kind of welcome they'd been used to getting for the past couple of weeks.

Yet...nothing. No bullets being shot at them or alarms blaring. It was quiet and uneventful. Secrecy thankfully was on their side for a change.

 _'Robin couldn't have killed the alarms that fast, could he? And where is he?'_

"Did I miss Robin on the way in here?" Winter whispered while crouching behind cover, noticing the younger detective was nowhere in sight in front of her or behind with the others.

"No," Aqualad spoke, moving close to a container to hide alongside Winter. "He has decided to disappear again."

"He's supposed to stay with the rest of us. How could he go off on his own again?" Winter muttered softly, rubbing her face tiredly.

Bane huffed, his eyes scowling at the empty space the group now had. "You sure that little fool didn't already get caught?"

"He's fine," Miss Martian whispered from the back of the group. "He likes to disappear, but...Robin knows what he's doing." The martian answered, however, her voice faltered at her last comment.

Noticing Miss Martians' worry, Kid Flash smirked and adjusted his goggles over his eyes to prepare himself. "Don't worry beautiful. I'll get the intel and get Rob back here before the night ends."

Winters' ears perked up at Kid Flash's' claim. No! Not again! They couldn't split up again and get caught like last time! Robin was already gone, they couldn't lose anybody else! Especially in a place crowded with gun-toting cultists.

"Kid, you better not-"

Before Winter could finish her sentence, Kid Flash, like his namesake disappeared in a flash. A gust of wind blown in the groups face at the result of another one of their comrades leaving, Winter clenched her fist tightly in the air, only to let it fall to her side seconds later.

"...Go." She finished, her last word floating into the air.

All that hard work to try and bring up her self-esteem. All of it just left her as fast as Kid Flash had sped off.

"H-How could they just leave us behind? Again?!" Winter whispered, her voice clearly communicating the distress she was feeling.

Confusion and a feeling of helpless crept up on her, Winter leaning on the metal crate beside her for support. "I can't believe they ran off again. Even after they promised." Winter muttered sadly.

Noticing the very obvious confusion on the younger girls' face, Aqualad rested a hand on Winters' shoulder. "I am sorry, Winter. It seems old habits have not died for either of them yet."

The comfort somewhat helping Winter, her mind was still stuck in the moment, the teen sighing. "I don't understand. They promised they'd work together with the group like we did at Cadmus, as a whole. Yet, we get in here and they run off to do whatever they want without even communicating to the rest of us. We can't operate without accounting for what they're doing."

 _'In the heart of the target's operation no less. We could have a real tough battle on our hands, not to mention we don't know if they have any other weapons besides those guns to use against us. We can't make a solid plan or move without the whole team being together to formulate a strategy.'_

One wrong move and somebody could get seriously hurt.

Winter didn't want a repeat of the last encounter she had with a gun wielding psycho. She had been able to avert a real close call, but if she'd been just a second too late-

A strong shiver pulsed through Winters' spine, the ice user unable to finish her thought from the painful chill. She shifted her gaze downward, her ice blue eyes taking in her hands on the ground, curled up into fists so tight she thought she thought she'd cut into her own palms.

Why? Why was she feeling so nervous and hesitant all of a sudden? Villains and criminals with guns had never been such a tough issue for her before, at least not since she was a rookie. She'd taken down her own amount of bad guys with bullets many times in her hero career. Why was their presence affecting her now?

Was it because she had been so close to dying this time? So close to seeing a friend die?

Another shiver came and a strong squeezing feeling around her heart, Winter sadly confirmed her own question. Of all the times to fall back into a rookie and be afraid.

It was silly at first. To think she was afraid of something she'd conquered years ago under Ice Maiden's training and tutelage. It'd been scary to her years ago, a young kid going up against people with guns, things that could end you in an instant if you weren't careful. But thanks to the care and strength of her mentor, Winter never had to really fear anything, because she knew her mentor would always have her back.

But now, things were different. She was older, wiser, on her own. Ice Maiden wasn't there anymore, and now it was her turn to step up and take care of herself. She'd wanted that for so long, and thankfully the fear of fighting anyone with a weapon didn't phase her as badly as it used to. However, that was when she'd to worry about her own safety.

Now, on a team, her friends and comrades lives were at just as much risk as she was in. She couldn't think of just herself.

But, could she be that quick next time? The last encounter had felt like such a blur, adrenaline running through her system to match her state of mind. She could barely remember what happened, how it happened, or how she reacted so quickly.

 _'What if I can't react that fast again? I know deep down I can take on any nut that comes at me, but if another situation like what happened to Kid Flash happens again...can I recreate what I did? I don't know if I can-'_

"Winter."

A hand on her shoulder, Winter felt herself jolt back to reality, the young teen turning her head hastily to find Aqualad still next to her, a look of concern on his face.

"Are you alright? You are starting to produce ice."

"Ice?" Winter shakily asked back. Turning her head downwards to see if it was true, Winter frowned at the sight of ice beneath her still clenched hands. She pulled them away after seeing them, ice chipping off her fingertips. She clasped her hands together, rubbing her thumb over her opposite hand to wipe off the frost on her skin. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just...nervous, is all."

That was both a lie an understatement. She was utterly terrified at the moment, but she couldn't say it out loud to Aqualad. To any of the others. She had been in a moment where she had faced her own mortality, and the whole thing affected her to her core.

It'd make her look so weak if she revealed her true feelings. She'd spent all her life trying to become confident and strong, to prove herself in the eyes of her father, her mentor, the League. If just one moment on her first mission on a team could shake her so badly, what did that say about her efforts? About her character?

"I believe you are more than a bit nervous, Winter. I can tell you have something very heavy on your mind. You should not keep it inside if it affects you in such a way." Aqualad spoke, his voice falling into the usual brotherly tone she knew him by.

Winter smiled sadly to herself, Aqualad's words confronting her hidden thoughts. _'Nothing could ever get past Aqualad.'_

Winter stayed quiet for a few moments, but took in a shaky breath and turned her head upwards to stare off at the Kobra agents far off from them. "I'm...nervous, or rather scared. About the mission. It hasn't been going well at all since we started and we...I jumped into a pretty bad situation that almost got me killed, could have killed Kid Flash. I just want this to go perfectly, so we don't have to have another close call like that again."

Aqualad nodded his head, understanding the explanation the ice user was giving him.

"As much as I also want the mission to be a success Winter, no mission can ever be perfect. We may plan, but there will be twists and turns on any mission at any time that may call for us to react and call jump in to save a friend from danger." Aqualad noted, taking his hand from his teammates' shoulder. "Do not fear. You are not alone in this. We are all working together to ensure a safe success. Some may be having more trouble than others, unfortunately, as we've seen with Robin and Kid."

"Even after they said they would work together." Winter spoke, her eyes narrowing on a gun a Kobra member held and hide back behind cover.

"I am sure their intentions to work together were true when they agreed, but the way they have operated has been ingrained in them for a long time. Making decisions that work for their skill set has become second nature to them. We cannot expect them to suddenly change their ways in just one conversation."

Letting Aqualad's words sink in, Winter sighed softly and turned to the Atlantean next to her. She said nothing, letting Aqualad finish his speech.

A reassuring smile pointed to his friend, Aqualad spoke. "We are all still learning how this new team operates, Winter. Just give them time. They'll learn, just as we all will overcome the dangers of this mission. As a team."

Winter slowly nodded her head to the sound advice, her thoughts contemplating the words of her older comrade.

Again, Aqualad was right. Winter couldn't expect Kid Flash and Robin to just shift gears and work the way she told them to. She hoped for this mission to work out like Cadmus, where no leader was defined. Everyone would just work together, but the pieces didn't fit the puzzle. This mission was far different.

"I hope your right. It'd be nice if I wasn't ignored by those two." Winter joked lightly, a small smile forming on her face.

"Yeah, a great chain of command you've all got here." The voice of Bane commented, chuckling at their conversation.

Eyes shifting away from Aqualad, Winter felt her gaze narrow at the masked man. _'For a moment, I forgot he was here. It was nice, while it lasted.'_

"Nobody asked you, Bane." She answered, a harshness in her tone.

Bane smirked at the answer. "Heh, looks like I hit a nerve in the tiny _chica_. Must be hard for the _frío_ _princesa_ to play follow the leader when nobody wants to listen, hmm?"

Winter felt her teeth tighten against each other in her mouth, but held her tongue from saying a comeback. She had to be calm. This was not the time to get into a fight, some petty squabble over her dignity. Not when two of their teammates had disappeared again and the team was now in the heart of the criminals operations. Not when having high strung emotions would make her powers go haywire.

With bad guys surrounding them. Holding seriously strong firepower.

"Nothing to say? Are the Kobras' little toys scaring you that much?"

Her nerves tightening up at the joking comments Bane was making, Winter felt her anger begin to reach its boiling point. As much as she wanted to stay dignified and calm, being called out by Bane for being scared moments ago was a low she did not want to hit.

Eyes narrowing into a glare at Bane, Winter was just about ready to stand on her feet and confront the taller criminal...

"Hey. Back off."

Until somebody else jumped in.

Pulling her gaze away from the smirking Bane, both Winters' and Banes' attention drifted to the source of the voice; Superboy. His gaze was hardened, dead set on the criminal.

Snickering at Superboys' sudden interruption, Bane turned to stare down the super clone, a smug look escaping from his masked features. "Did I hear that right? You're trying to order me around now?"

Superboy never let his gaze drop from the taller man, stepping forward to get closer. "Yeah. Back off. All your talking is getting on my nerves." Superboy spoke up, his temper rising.

A mix of surprise and comfort washed over Winter, her irritation with Bane subsiding for a moment. It was comforting to know she was not the only one who was getting irritated by the villain.

Yet, was that what it was? Superboy said he'd been annoyed with Bane since he kept talking, however, the man had barely spoken since joining up with them. Superboy did have a temper and a tendency to speak his mind, but it couldn't have just been the few words Bane spoke now that angered him.

Was it because Bane was rude to her? Picking on her?

 _'Now I may be thinking way too much into it.'_ She thought, the ice user keeping quiet while Superboy and Bane confronted one another.

"Heh heh heh," Bane chuckled, moving a step closer to Superboy, glare focused on him. "You've got guts to talk to me like that. Or maybe a death wish."

"W-Wait a second." Miss Martian spoke up, hastily walking over to the two glaring men and trying to pull Superboy back from Bane. "We're all on the same side remember? Working together against Kobra?"

However, neither of the two men answered back. Instead, their gazes were kept on one another, Bane smirking back at a glaring Superboy who growled beneath his breath. The were ready to strike at each other at any moment.

"Enough, the both of you." Aqualad whispered strongly, the Atlantean coming between the two and pushing them back. "We are all on the same side whether we like it or not. If we are to succeed against Kobra we must try to work together."

There was truth in what Aqualad said. The odds were stacked in their enemies favor. The island was crawling with crazy cult members wielding guns and who knew what else, hoards of steroids in their possession, and stuck on an island with nowhere to hide. Survival and cooperation were the most important thing right now.

Now was not the time to let her emotions control her. She needed to be the one in control.

"He's right." Winter answered, adding to Aqualad's' command. "We need to work together. No matter how much _some_ of us don't like the other." Winter conceded, her eyes pressing a hard glare at Bane.

As much as Banes' comments had angered her to no end, the mission was the priority. She'd need to swallow her discontent and just go with what was happening. Even if she was working with a criminal.

A criminal who was pushing her buttons and making fun of her.

Amused by the glare, Bane shrugged his shoulders and walked ahead to hide behind a lot of crates nearby. "Heh. Seems like the kids can't take some light smack talk."

Superboy took a step forward after Bane, ready to retaliate, but felt himself being stopped by Aqualad's' hand.

"This is not the time Superboy. I understand your frustration, but we must work together. This mission depends on cooperation." Aqualad explained, keeping his voice calm and commanding at the same time.

"Fine. But I'm punching that guy as soon as he does something else to tick me off." Blue eyes staring back at green, Superboy let out a huff of breath and stepped back; following after Bane, Superboy hid behind another pack of crates.

 _'I can tell he really means that.'_ Winter thought, eyes wandering between Bane and Superboy.

Moving along with Aqualad and Miss Martian to their new hideaway, Winter crouched behind a larger rusted crate and sat next to Miss Martian with the others.

Keeping close to hide from any wandering Kobra members, Winter and the rest of the group let their eyes move to shipping boxes full of Venom, members of the Kobra surrounding it with care and careful watch. Guns in hand, muscled guards, and equipment all around, it seemed like they were preparing for something big.

"It's a massive shipment." Aqualad noted, the Atlantean taking note of the heavy amount of work the Kobra members were doing.

"Yeah," Superboy agreed, yet his powerful vision moved further across the way to spot a large mass of Venom product out near a helipad. "But they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this Venom."

"Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian suggested an inquisitive look on her face.

Poking her head out to look at the array of Venom containers being brought out, Winter pulled her hood to keep it on her head, slinking back down behind the crate. "The amount they have out there might just be the amount they need. No reason to give a buyer extra Venom for free. If it is money that they're after, they'll want to charge for as much as they give."

"Money?" Miss Martian asked, looking to the white-haired ice manipulator. "Do the Kobra need money that badly?"

"It is a good motivation. Money equals more means to fund projects they have for the future." Aqualad added.

"Helicopters' coming." Superboy spoke up, cutting off the groups' conversation.

The teens along with Bane moving their eyes upwards to where Superboy was looking, only the star filled sky overtook their vision. Nothing appeared at first, however, seconds later the roaring sound of a helicopter engine came to life in the sky, and the body of a ranger green helicopter came into view.

"Wonder who's in there." Winter commented, glaring at the large vehicle slowly descending onto the helipad outside.

"We need higher ground. Stay close." Aqualad commanded, motioning the group to quietly follow after him.

Taking note not to fall behind, Winter followed behind Aqualad along with Superboy, Miss Martian, and Bane to scaffolding high above the factory. Climbing up with the help of a nearby ladder and meeting up with the rest of the group, Winter crouched low next to Superboy and stared off at the helicopter as it began to turn off.

"This vantage point still isn't enough. We need a closer look." Winter muttered, trying to adjust her eyes in an attempt to see the buyer from her seat. An idea struck her, yet Winter clutched the railing of the scaffolding at the thought.

Was it a good idea with how much security there was?

"Miss Martian?" Winter called to her comrade crouched nearby.

"You called?" The martian asked, poking her head up to look over to Winter.

"If you're up for it, turn invisible and fly over there. See if you can spot the buyers face for us." Winter asked, turning her gaze to the martian.

"On it. I'll send a telepathic image to both you and Aqualad once I see them." Miss Martian answered, pulling her blue hood over her face and focused her powers.

Winter nodded, turning her head back to look towards the operation outside. "Be careful, Miss Martian."

"I will." With that said and a smile to the ice user, Miss Martians' form slowly melted away into nothingness, her body and clothes disappearing like magic.

Knowing the telepath had already begun her part of the mission, Winter frowned and felt her grip on the railing get a little tighter, frost beginning to coat the railing.

Despite the great advice Aqualad gave her, Winter felt the chill of fear roll down her spine yet again.

* * *

Superboy watched Miss Martian fly off, the super clone letting his eyes wander from the venom buy to the rest of the group.

Aqualad kept his eyes out for any problems, Bane was watching the buy beginning, and Winter...

Winter was looking towards the buy too, but she looked rattled more than anything. Was Miss Martian going out there making her _that_ nervous?

"She'll be fine." Superboy muttered next to Winter, the boys gaze staring right on Winter. That comment would help calm her down, right?

Sighing at being caught again in her bout of nervousness, Winter tried to make her grip loosen off the railing, but failed. "I-I know. I'm just nervous. You know, what if's and all."

His gaze not leaving her form, Superboy noticed the look on Winters' face, the way she was gripping the railing so tightly, her powers activating again like before.

She was nervous, scared even. It had to have been because of that jerk, Bane. The things he said had to have gotten to her, making her act differently than he'd seen her before.

It only made him want to punch the guy more.

Superboy was used to seeing Winter look so confident, prepared, ready for anything. He had seen her at times getting nervous, such as when he first met her father. Yet, even then it wasn't to this degree.

Something about it, the way she looked and the tenseness her whole body was showing. It made Superboy feel...something. He couldn't explain what it was with the information Cadmus had given him. It was like before, back at Winters' home. When she hugged him and he felt his heartbeat rush faster than usual.

It almost felt like that, but instead of his heartbeat rushing, he felt his heart squeeze tight; like being crushed in the palm of someones' hand. It felt like his body was punishing him, rather than be out of his control.

 _'My chest hurts. Why? Because she looks scared?'_ Superboy wondered, his gaze moving down to the metal floor. How could seeing someone look sad effect his body so much?

There was something else too. Superboy couldn't pinpoint the origin of it all, but far in the back of his head, something called out to him. It was quiet, weak and hard to make out, but slowly a voice grew in volume, trying to get his attention.

 _'Don't let her feel like this.'_

For a moment Superboy thought it was Miss Martian again, the girl getting into his head when he didn't want her to. But, he heard the voice and it wasn't Miss Martians'. It sounded...like his own?

 _'Say something to her. Are you okay with letting her feel scared?'_

No, he argued mentally. Why would he want Winter to be scared? But, what was he supposed to do? He didn't know how to encourage people. Make them feel better like Miss Martian or Aqualad knew how to do.

 _'Help her. Aren't you her friend?'_

That comment the voice in the back of his head had gotten his attention. As much as this voice talked nonstop like Kid Flash, it wasn't annoying. It was making some sense to him. Whoever...whatever the voice was had been right. Winter had spent a lot of time helping him adjust to his new life, teach him things he wasn't clear on. And like the voice had said, they were friends now.

 _'Friends...don't leave each other behind.'_ Superboy concluded, the super clone feeling his eyes drift to the still tense form of Winter. If the situation was reversed, he was sure Winter would have already talked to him by now.

It was only fair he did the same for her.

 _'What did Aqualad do to help Winter calm down?'_ Superboy thought, trying to remember the two heroes previous conversation. The Atlantean had placed a hand on her shoulder, spoken to her. Would that work if he did the same?

Reaching a hand out towards the tense form of Winter, Superboy slowly placed a large hand on the petite girls' shoulder. He felt her jump at the contact, ice blue eyes wide with shock from his sudden touch.

Okay, so that worked.

 _'What do I say now?'_ Superboy wondered. He'd gotten Winters' attention, her ice blue eyes now focused directly on him. Most of his teammates always noted he was a blunt and honest person. If there was ever a time for that skill of his to come in handy, this was it.

So what was it his mind had come up with for him to say?

"She's gonna be okay." Superboy felt himself say, the words pouring out of his mouth without fully realizing what he said.

Winters' eyes widened a minuscule amount, her grip on the railing loosening at Superboys' words. Had what he said made that much of a difference to her?

"I," Winter spoke up, trying to find her voice. "I know. I believe in Miss Martian. I'm just worried. Kid and I almost got int a really bad situation earlier. She's going in alone, so I'm worried about her safety. "

 _'Keep going. Keep talking with her.'_ The voice returned, calling out to Superboy to continue talking.

"She'll be fine. The rest of us have got her back if anything happens." Noticing her hands were still glued to the railing, Superboy took his hand away from Winters' shoulder and grabbed onto her right, gently pulling it off the railing with his own.

The first thing he noticed from the contact was the size difference of their hands. Hers were so small compared to his and her skin felt smooth against his rough palms, the chill of her powers long active contrasting with the warmth of his own. His body acted unconsciously, his hand clasping around Winters' a bit more as if it was trying to snuff out the cold encasing her hand.

Superboy had never held another persons' hand before. There was never any reason to do something so trivial and boring. Yet, as unnecessary as the action seemed to be...

It was actually kind of nice. It wasn't terrible or made him want to let go of her hand in disgust. If anything, for some strange reason, Superboy wanted to _keep_ holding her hand.

The reason for it all never came, but Superboy felt something from the contact. He felt relaxed, comforted by the action. Like something sparked through him. Was that supposed to happen when you held someone's hand?

"Uhh...Superboy?" Winter whispered, making the dark-haired boy look up at the source.

Realizing he'd been silent and just staring at Winters' hand for who knew how long, Superboy willed his mouth to open and speak again; to say something to get back on track with what he was trying to convey.

"You do too, right?" Words flowed out, making Winter stare back, confused. "You've got her back if something goes wrong?"

She didn't say anything for a few seconds, the two teens just staring at one another, the two holding hands.

"Y-Yeah, of course." Winter finally answered, her nervous tone vanishing and being replaced with a small bout of confidence. "She's my friend. I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her."

A squeeze of Winters' own hand followed her answer, Superboy feeling the movement around his own fingers. Her hand that had once been shaking had ceased, now clinging to his.

She was getting her energy, her confidence back.

"Then there's nothing to worry about." Superboy concluded, placing Winters' hand on her lap and letting go, as much as his body was willing not to. Again, he did the same action, taking Winters' other hand and placing it in her lap and releasing her. "We've got each other covered."

Superboy couldn't tell if his words had made any sense. Half the time it seemed like his body and his mouth was moving on its own, out of his control.

However, the small smile that formed on Winters' face, the gleam in her eye when she was looking at him after those seconds of silence.

It had to mean he did something right.

"You're right," Winter spoke, a small smile pointed in his direction. "I'm probably just overthinking things." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing. Opening her eyes again, Winter eyes stared down to the ground for a moment, until they shifted back up to look at Superboy, smiling. "Thank you, Superboy. For the pep talk."

Another one of those smiles.

He didn't know why, but something about that smile made Superboy feel better. Like just moments ago when he felt like his heart was being crushed. Just seeing Winter smile now made the feeling go away, drifting off to whatever dark hole it came from. Like magic, or something close to it.

Strength began to rush through him. Again, he wondered if such a thing was possible? If seeing someone sad could make your heart feel like it was being crushed, could seeing someone smile make you feel stronger?

The dark-haired teen turned his gaze away from Winter, looking down to his hand. Why were emotions so complicated?

"It was nothing." Superboy answered, shrugging his shoulders and keeping his gaze downward.

"It...was not nothing."

Superboy stayed silent, keeping his gaze on his hand as the quiet words of Winter next to him drifted into his ear.

Of all the things that could have been stuck in his mind from the mission, Bane, his confusion on emotions, the pain he felt in his chest, or the weird voice in his head, the only thing Superboy could focus on was his hand.

The tingle of warmth and the feeling of Winters' hand in his own didn't fade away.

* * *

Was her mood really that noticeable?

She got a pep talk from Superboy of all people. Not that she was complaining about it. The talk was interesting, to say the least. Superboy was not the most emotional of people in the group, but the way he had tried to talk to her, make her feel better, and relax her was admirable.

He tried to follow the example of Aqualad, so it meant he was learning. His way of speaking was still blunt and a bit unrefined as ever, but that did not mean the message behind his words didn't get across to her. His words got through to her and she knew that there was nothing to worry about. If she was confident and knew she would not let any of her friends get hurt on her watch than she'd do just that. There was no reason to be afraid.

That other part though? The way he held her hand, that was far different from what Aqualad did. She was sure she could feel his hand squeeze around hers a little tighter too, if just for a moment. What was the meaning behind that?

She could have just been thinking way too much though. Superboy was probably just trying to get her to stop gripping the railing for dear life and freezing it.

Obviously, that had to be it.

The obviousness of the situation though wasn't going to stop her from forgetting what she had felt. The contact the two shared for those split few seconds felt like it had gone on for hours. His hands had dwarfed her petite sized ones in comparison, holding them carefully despite the way she knew Superboy fought with such strength and power. They were rough and calloused from the times he'd punched through debris and fought his foes compared to her smoother more elegant hands she used to hold her weapons in combat.

But it didn't make it any harder for her to feel his skin touching hers. Nor the warmth she felt from them.

She'd never held another boys' hand before, at least not without doing so to dance at a party or a handshake when meeting people. It was something so simple, yet just from her and Superboy connecting it felt like she'd done something so exciting, energizing her body.

One thing was certain. He'd succeeded in making her feel better and forget her nervousness. No longer was she thinking about the fears of "what if" disasters of the mission or worrying about her friend's safety and her own ability.

No, Superboy and Aqualad had both helped her with that. She felt more confident and her self-esteem was coming. Now the only thing on her mind, once again, was the super strong teen next to her and the newest moment they just had. If she could call it that.

 _'I wonder if I can ask Ice about this later.'_

" _ **Aqualad, Winter, sending a telepathic image of the buyer now."**_

The voice of Miss Martian ringing in her head, Winter turned to Aqualad, the Atlantean doing the same as the two shared eye contact. Nodding to affirm they got the message, Winter closed her eyes and awaited the mental image.

Her mind was clear, yet slowly colors began to swirl in her mind without her control. Gray, dark blue, the color of skin, blonde hair. Bit by bit the pieces were coming together and forming into something. As the fog began to clear and the image becoming whole, Winter felt her eyes squeeze tighter with concentration.

Where had she seen that face before? It was familiar, but a name couldn't be placed. She remembered fighting him once alongside Ice Maiden once. What was his name?

Opening her eyes, Winer looked over to Aqualad who was still checking the image. "I've seen him before, but I can't place the name."

"His name is Sportsmaster." Aqualad answered, opening his eyes and turning to Winter and Superboy. "He is the buyer."

Now she remembered the guy. He was a weird man, a guy running around in a hockey mask doing strange criminal operations like smuggling in the gear he wore. He tended to use some forms of sports equipment to fight such as javelins or discus to fight.

It sounded weird out loud, but he was "somebody to watch out for", in the words of Ice Maiden.

"I'll contact Red Tornado." Reaching her hand up close to her ear to activate their comm links, Winter frowned at the sound of static coming out in response. "Red Tornado, do you copy? Tornado?"

"It's not going through?" Superboy asked, pushing his own comm link to try and see what was going on.

"Something has to be jamming it. I can't contact Tornado. Robin and Kid Flash are probably offline too." Winter answered, gritting her teeth at their newest situation.

"We need a plan. Now." Aqualad added, aggravation growing in his voice.

Eyebrow raised at the statement, Bane looked to the three. "I have a suggestion." Without missing a beat and to the surprise of the team, Bane rushed off the platform and jumped over the railing, the larger man yelling at the top of his lungs and landing atop two armed Kobra guards. His landing creating a large impactful thud, Bane reached toward an oncoming Kobra agent trying to shoot at him and grabbed them, throwing them over his head into a shipping crate.

Winter, standing up alongside Superboy and Aqualad, raised her hands to clutch her hooded head and watched their partner in crime begin his barrage of attacks. "W-What is he doing?"

"Making his own plan." Aqualad answered, his tone frustrated.

"RAAAUGH!"

The loudest roar Winter had to have ever heard ringing through the air, the young girl turned around to try and find the source of the noise, only to feel her eyes widen at the outline of a shadowed form heading towards the large window just above them.

They needed to get out of there!

"Jump!" Winter yelled, moving her leg on top of the railing and vaulting herself off. Superboy and Aqualad following her lead, the three heroes heard the loud crash of glass in the air, shards falling nearby them as they landed on the floor of the warehouse.

Shaking shards of glass out of her hair and standing beside Superboy and Aqualad, Winter glared at the sight of masked Kobra soldiers standing a few feet from them, along with a monstrous looking being with them.

His skin was bumpy and tan and ripped from the excess amount of enlarged muscles beneath the skin. His body was large, standing at least seven or eight feet tall and had sharp knife-like teeth. Claws replaced their fingers and their feet could crush a car. The being looked like a stronger more animalistic version of what Dr. Desmond had become.

It couldn't have been some coincidence.

 _'What's going on? That guy looks like the thing Dr. Desmond turned into. But how could Kobra get their hands on the Blockbuster formula?'_

"RAAAUGH!" The monster of a man roaring at the teens in warning, the monster began running towards them, claws retracted and ready to kill.

There was no time to think about that.

Running ahead to take on the brute, Superboy headed into the fray first and collided with the monster, wrapping his arms around him to try and hold him back. Sadly the monstrous man was too large for him, taking Superboy by the collar of his shirt and throwing him over his shoulder.

"Superboy!" Taking a step forward to go after her teammate, Winter stopped at the sight of Kobra agents cocking their guns and pointing toward her and Aqualad. Gritting her teeth and taking a step back, Winter activated her powers and swung her arm outwards onto the ground, ice coating the floor and rising upwards into a wall between her, Aqualad, and the Kobra agents.

 _'At least these gunmen had been slower reacting than Bane.'_

"Nice work on the cover." Aqualad complimented, taking out his water bearers and creating a shield of water with one of his weapons. "I will stay back here and try to keep them distracted. Arc around them while their attention is on me and take down their guns."

"Are you sure? Will you be okay on your own?" Winter asked.

"I will be fine. It will be harder for us to take them down with their weapons. If you can freeze them, incapacitate their weapons, they'll be open to combat. We can take them down more swiftly that way." Aqualad answered, moving his head out from the cover to shoot a water projectile across the room.

She made no effort to move, the ice user biting her lower lip in hesitation. "B-But..."

Moving back behind cover, the Atlantean looked to Winter and saw the hesitant look on her face. "You will be fine, Winter. Do not be hesitant with your actions and you will not falter. I will cover you."

Eyes widening at the confident answer to her, Winter nodded her head at Aqualad's advice. Breathing in deep to prepare herself, the soft glow of her powers enveloped her hands, the fog of ice hissing off her fingertips and skin.

 _'If I can use Frost Step fast enough and not waste any time, maybe I could try jumping and vaulting off each one of them. As long as I touch them during it, I'll freeze them.'_

Could that work? She'd never tried using Frost Step off the ground before. On the ground, it would freeze anything her feet touched in the direction she ran in. If she jumped onto something using it, in theory, it should do the same. But, she could barely control her speed and direction as it was on the ground. If she made a wrong move, she'd get herself into big trouble.

 _'I have to at least try. If it doesn't work I'll make an ice wall to protect myself, make a new plan. I can't waste any more time.'_ Crouching low to the ground and letting her powers build up inside her body, Winter pulled her red hood to secure it, gritting her teeth and activating her Frost Step. Taking just one step onto the ground, the young teen disappeared in a flash, snowflakes following behind her invisible form.

Her body going faster than what she was used to, Winter willed her body to turn itself, moving her leg in the direction towards her targets. Her leg following the way her mind willed it, the ice user sped off to the left towards the Kobra members, the soldiers not noticing the ice cold blur heading their way. Dodging a few stray bullets and getting closer, Winter jumped upwards towards a Kobra member, her feet landing on top of their chest.

For split second Winter looked down, praying that her plan was going to work. Her feet connecting with the criminal, Winters' eyes widened at the sight of ice grasping onto the Kobra members' body, spreading out to take over their robed form.

It worked!

 _'Yes! Now the rest!'_ Winter thought excitedly. Kicking herself off the stepping stone of a Kobra member she landed on, Winter moved her body to crash into another member, knocking his gun out of his hand in the process. One after another she rammed into the gunmen, ricocheting back and forth like a pinball and freezing them in their place, guns included.

The familiar ache and sluggish feeling of her muscles tiring out from her power, Winter landed on the last Kobra member and back onto the ground, slipping a bit in the process as she headed towards a nearby wall. Her power deactivating and the teen tripping over her own feet, Winter turned her body and felt her cape wrap around her, her back crashing into the metal wall to save herself from colliding face first.

Hastily untangling herself form her cape and looking ahead of her at the situation, Winter mentally cheered at the sight of various Kobra members frozen in place, their guns chilled and broken on the ground. At least the battle was sort of going in her favor.

"Freeze!"

 _'Or not.'_ Winter thought sadly, turning her head to the sight of two armed Kobra men with guns pointed at her.

It was naïve to think that one stunt had destroyed all their supply of weapons on the entire island.

She could dream though, couldn't she?

Without much chance for them to react, Winter shot her hand outwards towards them, creating a large gust of snowy wind towards the gunmen.

The harsh cold wind and ice covering their vision, the Kobra member dropped their weapons in response, raising their hands up to cover their eyes.

Eyes narrowing at the sight of her opponents covering their vision from her attack, Winter raised her free hand up to prepare another attack.

 _'Now to-'_

"Got em'!" Rushing towards the blinded Kobra agents, the form of Kid Flash jumped and side kicked the two agents off their feet, landing in pile on the ground. Smirking at his work and looking to Winter, Kid Flash gave a thumbs up to the ice user. "Nice save, huh?"

Or...she would have.

Glaring at the speedster and ready to reply back with all the confusion and anger she had, she held it in at the sight of a Kobra member off to the side reaching for his gun near Kid Flash. Shooting a ray of ice to freeze him in place, Winter rolled her eyes at the speedster. "You're welcome. Again." Pointing her finger to the ice wall Aqualad was hidden behind, Winter stared back at Kid Flash. "Just go over there and help Aqualad. Not the time to chat, Kid."

"Uhh...You got it." The speedster taking note of the annoyance on his team mate's face, Kid Flash rushed off through the battlefield, knocking down any Kobra members on the way.

"Now I need to help out." Eyes scanning over their newest situation, Winter spotted the sight of Superboy taking on the weird Kobra bodyguard that tried to attack them before. Deciding the super clone was going to need a hand, Winter crouched to the ground and coated the floor with ice. Taking off in a running start and jumping onto the frosted floor, Winter skated towards the two fighters and reached a hand outwards, a ray of ice shooting from her palm and coating the floor behind the monsters' feet.

Watching the monster take a step back, the large creature was unable to save themselves from the slippery floor, their footing twisting in response to the icy floor.

"Dodge this!" Superboy cried out, throwing a strong punch towards the slipped up creature. His fist connecting with the face of the bodyguard, the force of the impact pushed the being off the ground, flying off a few feet away from Superboy and Winter. Smiling at the punch he got in, Superboy looked over at Winter who skated over to him. "Thanks for the assist."

Smiling back, Winter stopped nearby Superboy and nodded. "No problem. You need another hand?"

"I've got this guy. You go on ahead." Superboy spoke back, cracking his knuckles at the sight of his opponent getting back up.

"Be careful Superboy." Winter spoke back, nodding to her teammate before skating back off into the battle.

Ducking beneath a thrown Kobra member and shooting a few rays of ice towards enemies trying to take her down, Winter jump kicked a Kobra member coming at her from the corner of her eye, landing on the ground and turning her head back at the battlefield the warehouse was becoming.

It was a mess and a loud one at that. There was no way their covert operation was anything close to what it was originally supposed to be. All because of...

 _'Where is Bane anyways?'_ Winter thought, jumping out of the way of a Kobra members' punch and summoning a bo staff of ice in her hands. Retaliating with a large swing of the pole and knocking the enemy back, Winter gritted her teeth as her eyes darted back and forth for their temporary ally.

No sign of him.

 _'This had to be some plan of his. I knew it was a bad idea to trust that guy!'_ Winter thought loudly, her grip on the staff tightening.

 _ ***BOOM***_

Unable to find the time to be angry, the sound of a small explosive rang in her ears; Winter looking upward to the source and gasping at the sight of Miss Martian flying off towards a pipeline. Throwing a ray of ice towards cultists trying to shoot at her, Winter headed towards the large pipes and created an icicle beneath her feet, the creation sprouting out of the ground and vaulting her high up into the air.

The martian heading towards her, Winter hastily caught Miss Martian in her arms, the force of her colliding into her pushing them back onto the top of a large metal container. Laying on her back from the collision, Winter slowly got up and coughed a bit to regain her breath, only to scan over her friend resting in her arms for any injuries. "Miss Martian? Are you okay?"

Groaning at her name being called, Miss Martian slowly opened her eyes and pressed a hand on her banging head. "I think so. Sportsmaster threw some kind of pole at me. I tried to dodge it, but it started beeping and then I got thrown over here." With the help of Winter, she sat up, the martian focusing her thoughts back in order.

"It must have had some sort of bomb on it. As if we didn't have enough to worry guy could see you when you were invisible too." Winter muttered, helping Miss Martian up to her feet. "Do you have any cuts?"

"No, I think I'm okay. Just a bit rattled." Shaking her head a bit more, Miss Martian looked out towards the battle down below, frowning at the increasing Kobra members starting to come in. "I don't think we're going to win this fight."

She didn't want to admit it, but Miss Martian was right. The way things were going thanks to Bane, one of the sides was going to knock the other one down. Winter was sure that had been the criminals' plan all along. Pit the two against each other until they wiped each other out, leaving Bane with the spoils and his enemies dead.

 _'There's no way I'm letting that guy get away with this! But there's no way we can take the rest of Kobra and Sportsmaster on our own. At least not in the condition we're in now.'_

"You're right. We need to get out of here. Mind link us all, the comms are jammed." Winter asked, helping Miss Martian keep herself steady.

Nodding to show she understood, the martian girl closed her eyes and placed her fingertips to the side of her head, breathing in slowly to concentrate her powers out into the minds of her team mates. Slowly feeling her influence tap into each member of the team, Miss Martian opened her eyes and looked outwards to the battle below.

" _ **Mind link established. Is everyone online?"**_

" _ **I'm connected."**_ The voice of Aqualad answered.

" _ **Yeah."**_ An unenthusiastic voice of Superboy replied.

" _ **You know it beautiful."**_ Kid Flash answered.

" _ **I am too. We need to...Wait, Robin? Are you online?"**_ Winter asked telepathically, realizing they were a member short in the head count.

" _ **Busy now."**_ Robin answered back.

Winter frowned at the answer, her hands frosting with ice in frustration. _ **"Robin, I don't know what you're doing or where you are, but we don't have time for it. You need to meet up with the rest of us so we can make a plan."**_

" _ **I've got the time and the plan. Just keep distracting the Kobra guards."**_

" _ **We can't. They're outnumbering us. You need to come back with us Robin."**_

" _ **But I'm close to taking down Kobra right now. You can't expect me to-"**_

" _ **Robin, NOW!"**_ The voice of Aqualad cutting off Robin, his voice loud and clear for all of the team to hear.

Winter jumped a bit alongside Miss Martian, the two girls a bit surprised by the tone Aqualad had used with their fellow hero. They'd never heard him yell like that before.

"I didn't think Aqualad could yell." Miss Martian commented, the green-skinned alien shifting her gaze to Winter.

" _ **Strategic retreat into the mines. Kid, clear us a path."**_ Aqualad finished, his voice traveling into the minds of Winter and Miss Martian.

"Me either, but the situation is dire. We need all the cooperation of the team." Winter replied, motioning Miss Martian to follow with her towards the back of the factory. Jumping down and landing on large metal structures to help herself get down, Winter landed onto the concrete floor of the factory, shooting a ray of ice at a nearby Kobra trying to block their path.

"Miss M, watch my back. I'll cover you from the front." Winter added, rushing off down a small space alongside the martian to try and catch up with their team mates.

"Nobody will get passed us." Miss Martian replied, flying alongside the ice user and pushing a wave of psychic energy at some armed Kobra members. Watching them fly off, Miss Martian turned her head back and smiled at the sight of Kid Flash and Aqualad coming out from their cover. "You're okay."

"There's no time to chat. We need to move." Aqualad spoke, motioning the group to follow after him.

Kid Flash rushing ahead to knock down any straggler Kobra members in their way, the speedster was the first to head into the mine, Winter getting closer but slowing down to let Aqualad and Miss Martian go in before her.

" _ **We're still missing two. Robin, Superboy, where are you?"**_ Winter communicated telepathically, skidding to a halt nearby the entrance and turning her head back to try and spot the two missing team mates.

" _ **I'm here!"**_ Robins' voice rang out, the boy wonder swinging down towards the entrance with the help of his grappling hook. Landing on his feet and pulling the contraption to retract back to him, the younger detective placed the item back in his utility belt and headed off into the mines, the masked boy keeping his gaze on Winter before rushing in.

Sighing in relief that one of her team mates made it back, Winter frowned at the sight, or rather no sight of Superboy.

" _ **Superboy? Where are you?"**_

A loud crash was Winters' answer, the ice user turning her head to see Superboy be flung into the air and crash nearby her feet. Gritting his teeth and getting up from the ground, Superboy reached his hands out and blocked an oncoming attack from the bodyguard he'd still been taking on, the larger monster roaring in anger, still ready to fight.

" _ **Been kind of busy."**_ Superboy grunted out mentally, keeping the larger opponent in place, his arms shaking at the struggle of power.

" _ **How about a little help than?"**_ Winter suggested, reaching out her frosted hands and pointing them towards the bodyguards face. Her hands aglow in bright white light, ice sprung forth from the palms of her hands, the ray shooting out to hit the bodyguards face dead center.

The larger creature roaring in pain and feeling his eyes and face freeze, the monster loosened his grip against Superboy, taking a hand away by mistake to clean his ice frosted eyes.

"Big mistake." Seizing his opportunity to take his opponent down, Superboy quickly pulled his hands out of his enemies grip and reached out to grab his free wrist. Gripping it tightly and calling upon his super human strength, Superboy pulled the bodyguard off his feet and around his body, the force making Superboy throw his enemy over his shoulder and letting go, the crashing of the monster into a group of Kobra members echoing in the warehouse.

"Let's make sure they don't get up too soon." Shooting another ray of ice towards the group of fallen enemies, Winter motioned for her ice to wash over the floor around the group of fallen Kobra members. Covering the floor to make it slippery for their enemies, Winter turned and headed towards the doorway behind Superboy.

Superboy checking to be sure everyone had gotten into the mine, the stronger boy rushed the doors shut, the electronic lock glowing orange to indicate it had locked. "This better hold."

"We can only hope." Winter added, running off with Superboy to catch up with the rest of the team. Spotting the backs of the others, Winter wanted to sigh in relief that they hadn't been separated but kept her pace to outrun the cultists.

It was only getting tough with her throat feeling like it was one fire, sadly.

 _'This mission can't get any worse.'_

The sounds of gunshots sadly confirmed Winters' fears, the ice user nearly tripping over her own feet at the echoing sounds.

"They don't give up do they?" Kid Flash yelled to the others, turning his goggle-covered eyes to spot the cultists on their trail.

"I'll try to slow them down!" Winter called back.

Summoning a needle of ice into her right palm, Winter slowed down and twisted her body, thrusting her arm outwards to release the needle towards the mob behind them.

Landing on the ground far ahead, the projectile exploded in a flurry of ice crystals, only to freeze back together with the help of the cave walls and become its own wall of ice.

A bead of sweat rolling down her head from her body exerted from her activities, Winter sighed. "That aught to hold them back."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Superboy commented.

Winter turned her gaze to Superboy, eyebrow raised. "What makes you say that?"

"Raaagh!" The loud roar of Kobra's muscled bodyguard resonating through the cave, the large arm of the creature punched straight through the wall of ice, claws clutching onto the other side of the wall to pull it down.

"Oh, c'mon! What is this guy on? Steroids?" Winter complained, only to feel her cheeks flush at the rather obvious answer. Making no effort to stand around and wait for Kobra to come after them, Winter once again commenced her running pace with Superboy despite her tired muscles crying for a break. "Anybody got any other ideas?"

"Superboy!" Aqualad called over the fresh sounds of gunshots ringing in the tunnel again. "Aim for the support beams!"

Nodding at Aqualad's order, the clone rushed over to the closest wooden beam, punching it square with his closed fist. The beam crumbling like wet paper from her strength, Superboy rushed to the opposite beam and broke it as well.

Rumbling noises following the beams destruction, Winter felt specks of rocks and dirt above her fall on her head from the lack of support in the cave. Knowing a cave in was close to appearing nearby, the ice user rushed to Superboys' side and clutched her arms around his waist as best as her smaller form could.

"Hold on tight!" Winter cautioned the clone. Activating her Frost Step once again that night, the ice user felt the cold run through her veins and energy build up inside her chest. Finally letting the bubbled energy explode and release itself from her body, Winter along with Superboy zipped out of existence, becoming a swirling gust of cold wind and snowflakes that outpaced the cave-in.

The dirt of the cave collapsing behind them, the team slowed their speeds before finally resting to a halt within the mine. The sounds of gunshots had ceased, their enemies no longer pursuing them.

"Is everyone alright?" Aqualad breathed out, inhaling and exhaling the oxygen he had lost during their escape.

"I'm good. Not sure about those guys back there." Robin commented, pointing a thumb back to the rock pile behind them.

"Me...Wait, where's Winter and Superboy?" Miss Martian asked, realizing two of their team mates we're missing.

Just as Miss Martian asked, a gust of cold wind rushed past the team carrying snowflakes on its coattails. The two bodies of Winter and Superboy popping back into existence in the center of the teams' semicircle, the two crashed hard to the ground, bits of snowflakes specks on their outfits and in their hair.

-We're here." Superboy spoke out shivering, the super clone getting up from the ground and dusting snowflakes out of his hair.

Raising her head up from the ground, Winter groaned and raised a tired hand up to show off an unenthusiastic thumbs up. "And we're alive."

Helped to her feet thanks to Aqualad, Winter cracked her neck and dusted the various spots of dirt covering her battle skirt and cape. "Sorry about the fall, Superboy. I'm still having trouble controlling the speed of Frost Step, and I've never traveled with it while with someone else."

"It's fine." Superboy gruffly answered, shaking out the last bits of dirt and snow from his hair and rubbing his arms to warm himself back up. "Whatever it takes to get away from those guys."

"I'm just glad we're all safe. That could have gotten really bad." Miss Martian spoke, resting a hand on her chest to signal her relief at the situation.

"Yeah, like we're in such a good place now." Robin muttered while pulling out glow sticks from his utility belt.

"Hey dude, no need to give attitude to Miss M. She's just trying to find the bright side to all of this." Kid Flash retorted, eyebrow raised at the younger hero.

Robin didn't answer back, only turning away from the rest of the team to look at the pile of rocks and dirt blocking their path to their objective.

A glow stick was given to her by Aqualad, Winter cracked the item in her hands and placed the stick in a crack in the wall, the light source illuminating the cave with dark red light. Pulling her hood down and scratching her head, Winter tiredly sat down on a nearby rock, following the rest of the team's example of taking a breather.

They had all been through a lot in just a short amount of time. If there was ever a time to take a break, this was it.

* * *

Nobody said anything for a bit, silence overtaking the cold air still chilled from Winters' Frost Step. While it wasn't any way productive in their current situation, the silence was comforting, a pleasant distraction from the ringing sounds of gunshots and yells of cultists wanting to take their lives.

Not to mention nearly getting shot, the fear of her friend's safety crippling her ability to make decisions and act, watching their mission go up in flames.

Again.

Winter was just happy for the peace and quiet, even if it wouldn't be there forever. Temporary relief was okay with her. She just needed time to relax her tired body and get her thoughts together. She'd need a clear and refreshed mind for whatever was going to come next.

"How?" Robins' voice muttered quietly, drifting through the air to Winters' ears.

She turned her head to the Boy Wonder, a frown overtaking her face as the youngest of the team still kept his back turned from them.

"Robin? What's wrong?" Winter asked, making the rest of the team look over to the young detective. She hadn't meant to put the younger hero in the spotlight, but hearing him quietly talk to himself made her feel a bit upset. Even with the situation they were in, Robin was still trying to figure out things on his own. "Talk with us. We're a team."

Robin turned his head back slightly, his masked eyes looking behind his shoulder for a second. Arms crossed over his chest, the Boy Wonder turned his head back to look at their blocked path. "I...was wondering why this mission is going so wrong so fast."

Eyes widening a little at the honesty of the younger hero, Winter rested her hands in her lap. "Nobody said this was going to be easy."

"But we shouldn't be in this much of a mess." Robin responded back, rustling his hair in an agitated state. "Even after I agreed to hold off on being this teams' leader and just work as one unit, we got caught.

"The only reason we got caught was because _el luchador_ got the jump on us." Kid Flash added, his voice sounding a bit dejected at the comment.

Robin kicked a small rock near his boot at Kid Flash's' comment, his face downcast. "Which wouldn't have happened if everyone had just followed my lead."

Winter felt her eyes drift away from the Boy Wonder, blue irises looking to the dirt beneath her stealth black boots.

There it was again. The topic of team leader had crept up on the group once more, the title now too important to ignore in their current situation. Winter had tried her best to try and avoid it, the idea of team leader becoming more of a nuisance than something that would help the team when the mission first started.

Kid Flash nearly got himself and her killed trying to be the team leader and Robin had done his Batman disappearing act thinking everyone would follow him. She could tell trying to pick a leader was a bad idea right after those two mistakes.

Yet her own idea that she suggested countering the lack of a leader hadn't been any better, as much as it had helped to quell the squabbles of Robin and Kid Flash. She thought working together as one unit like at Cadmus would be what they needed. After all that had resulted in success.

Unfortunately, like Aqualad had explained to her, this mission was much different from Cadmus. There was no way the team could replicate the success of an escape mission to a recon mission in a completely different environment and against different enemies.

Now more than ever Winter realized the team needed a leader. They couldn't hold off on the decision any longer if they wanted it to be a success.

But, was Robin was the leader the team needed?

"You do have the most experience out of all of us," Aqualad spoke, jumping into the conversation. "but perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman your roles are defined, you two do not need to talk, but this team is new; and the leader must be clear, explicit." Finishing his piece, Aqualad shifted his gaze to Winter.

Winter felt her mouth form into a tight thin line, noticing the eyes of Aqualad fall to her. He did not have to say it out loud, but she knew the gaze he was giving her. The two had spoken about Robin and Kid Flash's' actions during the mission. She'd been the one to call them out when they fell back into their patterns all over again.

If anyone was going to explain the mistakes Robin was making as a team leader, or as a team member in general, it should be the one who noticed the failure in the first place, the one who was promised cooperation from those team members.

Winter knew better too. Aqualad couldn't be the only one to speak out. No person would learn from their mistakes if only one person made note of them. The more who point them out, the more the person realizes that their mistakes affected others.

 _'I don't want to hurt Robins' feelings, but he needs to know.'_

Her body filling with an energy of confidence, Winter nodded slowly to Aqualad, turning her gaze to Robins' back and stood up from her seat. "Aqualad is right, Robin. I know you really want to be the team leader, but a leader doesn't disappear on his team or forget to communicate."

"Oh, so _I'm_ just supposed to hold everyone's hand?!" Robin exclaimed, throwing his arm out in frustration and turning to face the rest of the group, his masked gaze set on Winter.

Winter felt herself freeze a bit at Robins' tone. She always had trouble in conversations when people were yelling. The sound of anger, elevated voices, confusion, and disappointment. All of those mixed plus the raised voices always made her feel nervous, lose her edge and confidence. Even in the company of friends.

Probably a side effect of her father's yelling.

Her fingers curled into fists at her side, the ice user feeling frost cover the palms of her closed hands.

 _'No, not this time. I'm not going to hesitate just because a friend is looking at me with anger. I need to stand my ground. Just like how I did with Speedy. Bring out that confident girl.'_

Winter breathed in, letting her nerves relax and get a grip on her powers. Taking a step forward towards the Boy Wonder, Winter stood in front of the angered teen.

"That's not it, Robin." Winter spoke, resting her hands on her hips, trying to organize her thoughts. "Leaders..." Winters' eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to find the right words. "They don't pull their team mates along and do all the work. A leader directs us, gives us guidance if we need it, and helps make a mission a success. A leader looks out for their team rather than the team trying to look for their leader. And," Winter lightly tapped the tip of her right boot on the dirt ground, hoping her next words didn't sound rude. "they don't break promises about working together with their team."

Robins' body stiffened for a moment at Winters' last words, his arm slowly falling to his side. Stepping back into place and gaze falling to the ground to avoid the white-haired heroine, the younger realized what she was talking about.

She was right. Leaders didn't break their promises. At least not those who wanted their teams' respect and loyalty. He'd promised to work with the team side by side, not to disappear again and leave them without a second thought.

Yet what had he done as soon as they arrived at the factory? How could he have forgotten it so quickly?

It made him look so childish. As if he didn't care about his own team mates feelings.

"I...didn't mean to. I-I just wanted-"

Noticing the regret on Robins' face, Winter placed a hand on his shoulder and cut him off. "Hey, it's okay. I know you didn't mean to. I _was_ mad at first," Winter then looked over her shoulder to Aqualad. "but somebody helped me to understand that this is all still new. To all of us. I can't expect people and things to just happen because I ask. We all still need time to learn and adjust to our new team."

Aqualad nodded and smiled at the words of wisdom. "I couldn't have said it any better."

"I have my moments." Winter replied, giving a sheepish smile and shrugging her shoulders.

Sighing, Robin scratched his head and raised it up to reveal his usual cheeky smile. "You sure do, but I am sorry about that Winter. I know you tried really hard to get it through KF and I's thick skulls to work together as a team, and we didn't listen. I'll make up for it any way I can."

"Hey, I didn't mess up _that_ bad." Kid Flash spoke up, raising his hands up in confusion.

" _Kid_?" Aqualad spoke up, eyes narrowed at the speedster like a parent staring at a child.

Eyes shirking a bit at the Atlanteans' own gaze, Kid Flash looked to see the rest of the team staring back at him with their own looks. Even Miss Martian was looking at him with concern. Realizing just how bad the situation was for him if he kept denying his mistake, Kid Flash sighed. "Okay, fine. I messed up too. I'll make sure not to do it again, and I'll do something to fix it."

"That's all I ask." Winter responded, smiling at her two team mate's moments of realization.

Smirking, Robin looked from the blubbering Kid Flash to Winter. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he keeps that promise. So, now that we've got all of that settled Winter, we should probably get back on the whelming subject of who'll be the team leader."

Oh yeah. She'd been so busy trying to sound mature and get her message across that she'd forgotten about that important detail.

How was that going to go?

"Well, if we all get a say, I'd think Winter would do a great job." Miss Martian spoke up from her spot nearby the cave wall, raising her hand up with a smile.

Winter felt her face falter at the nomination. "R-Really?"

Robin smirked at the question. "Hey, why not? A leader looks out for their team like you said. You're looking out for us, even if we are pains in the butt and you're not afraid to tell us if we're screwing up."

"And you're willing to do a lot for us. I'm not just gonna forget how you saved me from biting the dust with that bullet." Kid Flash added, smiling and giving a thumbs-up to Winter. "Still, I'll take the leadership spot if you don't want it."

Blushing at the words of praise from her team mates, Winter looked back to stare at Aqualad, the older teen smiling at her. "Aqualad, what do you think?"

"I see the potential for great things with you as a leader, Winter. I know you would do this team proud in your care." The Atlantean spoke, nodding to affirm his words to her.

Smiling at the kind words, Winters' eyes shifted the last of the team, that being the quiet form of Superboy leaning on the wall of the cave next to Kid Flash.

Superboy listening to the others talk and letting his eyes connect with those of Winter, the super clone did nothing at first, his arms crossed and resting on his chest. Nothing but silence communicated through their locked eyes, Superboy finally responded with a shrug of his shoulders."It's your choice."

 _'My choice.'_ Winter thought, smiling at the familiar words Superboy spoke to her. She'd said the same thing to him so many times since they met.

Smiling at the various amounts of encouragement from her team mates, Winter twirled one of her pigtails around her finger, balancing on the balls of her heels.

"Thank you for all the compliments guys. It's very nice of you. So with all of that, I happily _decline_ the nomination." Winter answered, resting on her feet at the end of her sentence.

Nothing was said after she spoke. Silence once again filled the tunnel of the mine shaft, however this time it wasn't as comforting as Winter had remembered. Instead, this silence was more...awkward?

"Winter, I think you mean you _accept_ the nomination." Kid Flash spoke up, breaking the silence.

Smiling, Winter shook her head. "No, I meant what I said."

"Wait, what? Why?" Robin asked.

"Umm...I'm a little lost too." Miss Martian added, her face muddled with confusion.

Understanding the confused looks of her team mates, Winter scratched her cheek nonchalantly. "Look, I really do appreciate the compliments and encouragement from all of you. It makes me really happy to hear you say those things about me. It's just...I don't think I'm leader material."

Winter stopped speaking, her hand moving away from her cheek and pulling her red hood back over her face. Her smile disappearing and being replaced with a frown, Winter moved her gaze down to the ground, her mind thinking over what had happened since arriving on Santa Prisca.

Winter...no, Samantha knew the answer to this question for a while now. As much as the idea of being leader would boost herself in the eyes of the Justice League and truly make her father proud, she knew she wasn't the right person for the job.

Not the way she was now,

"I'd really love to be this team's leader. I've never had the chance to make a lot of choices in my life without someones' input. Being leader would mean I'd get to make my own choices, rather than them being made for me...but, just because I want to be leader doesn't mean that I'm the right choice. I've made too many mistakes today, from losing my nerve to act to getting frustrated from being ignored. A leader needs to keep their cool, stay clam so their emotions don't cloud their judgment. I let that happen today, so I already know I'm not the girl for the job."

Smiling, Winter raised her hooded face to look at her team. "Once I've gotten a bit more confidence in myself and learn how to lead, maybe one day I'll become a leader. Right now though, I think there's someone else far better than me for the position." Winter finished, moving her gaze over to Aqualad and smiling a knowing smile.

Listening to Winters' words, Robin smiled and followed the ice users' gaze to the Atlantean. "Yeah, she's right. Our leader has got to be Kaldur."

Kid Flash scoffed, frowning at the suggest. "What?! What about me? I can-"

"Wally, c'mon," Robin cut the speedster off. "You know he's the one. He's the only other contender for the position besides Winter and me. You know it."

"Hello, Megan!" Miss Martian exclaimed with a gleeful smile. "It's so obvious."

Superboy shrugged, eyes looking over to Winter and Aqualad. "Could've told you."

Everyone jumping in to give their own input on the newest nomination, Kid Flash slumped his shoulders in defeat, only to smile and place his hands on his hips. "Okay."

Smiling, Winter gave a thumbs up to Aqualad. "Looks like you're team leader Kaldur. It's unanimous. We've got out team leader."

Eyes shining with sincerity, Aqualad smiled to his fellow heroes and gave a thankful nod of his head. "I thank you all for your kind words, my friends." Stepping over to Robin, the team's official leader placed a hand on the younger boys' shoulder. "I will accept the burden until you are ready to take it. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon."

Robin smirked at the mature tone of his newfound leader, the boy scratching his nose with his gloved finger. "Better watch out then. I'm gonna get that team leader spot as soon as I can."

"I am sure you will." Aqualad replied, taking his hand away from Robin, this time turning his attention to Winter. "I still stay true to my word, Winter. While you may not feel you are ready to lead, I could see the drive to want to help the team. You may think your closeness to your emotions were a mistake, but it is that sincerity that helps to strengthen the bonds of teamwork. You look out for everyone's wellbeing, gain their trust, and speak the truth to them when they themselves may not want to hear it. That is not an easy feat for most."

"Thank you, Kaldur." Winter answered, her face warming up at the endearing compliment. "I appreciate it. At least I know I have one thing crossed off the leadership skills list."

"You have enough time to learn the ropes, Winter. Do not think slow progress means you are not developing. You can take your time and learn to grow at your own pace. If you are interested, I could even help you train. Learn to become a better leader in the areas you feel you may be lacking in." Aqualad suggested.

"R-Really?" Winter asked, eyes widening at Aqualad's words. "You'd...really be willing to teach me?"

"Just like Robin, I also believe you to have the potential to make this team something great. There will be moments in this team's future where we might not all be here, together to fight our foes. When those days come, we must have someone to take the role as leader. If you are willing, I hope it is you who takes up the mantle in my absence." Aqualad explained, a sense of pride and conviction in his words.

Winter just blinked at the words Aqualad had spoken, his explanation far too crazy for her to comprehend for a few seconds. Slowly, however, his words registered in her mind, and Winter stared at Aqualad, words lost to her.

Well, almost.

"A-Are you sure?" Winter asked incredulously. "You want _me_ to lead when you aren't here?"

Aqualad nodded, affirming Winters' question. "Yes. You need work on being confident within yourself and preparing yourself for encounters, as well as your leadership skills; but your commitment to wanting to keep the team safe is what helps me make this decision. You care for everyone's wellbeing on this team, think of their safety before making a decision. That is the kind of leadership that builds trust in a team. The kind of thinking you already possess."

"Aqualad's right." Miss Martian spoke up, smiling to the two heroes. "You may not believe in yourself Winter, but we've seen the way you look out for all of us. Leaders do more than just lead. They look after everyone, just like you have this entire mission."

"Miss M does have a point." Robin added, a knowing smirk on the young detective's face. "Not to mention you aren't afraid to call us out on our...slip ups."

"Sort of like a bossy big sister." Kid Flash muttered, the comment making Winter eye the boy with a small glare. Nervous from the stare, Kid Flash raised his hands up to defend himself. "Kidding, kidding. It was a...compliment?"

"Really?" Winter asked with eyebrow raised to the speedster.

"If you can help to keep a group of dysfunctional teens together on a hostile mission and scare em with a look, I'd take that as a compliment." Robin joked with a snort.

"Exactly!" Kid Flash exclaimed, pointing a finger gun at Robin.

Shaking her head at the two younger heroes back and forth conversation, Winter shifted her gaze back and forth between the two. "You guys would seriously be okay with me if I was leading? You'll really listen to me if I give an order? Not go off on your own?"

Eyebrow raised, Kid Flash rested a hand on his chin and pondered the question. "Well..."

"KF?" Robin called his friend in a joking manner.

A grin widening on his face, Kid Flash rolled his eyes. "I'm joking, don't worry. I'll follow whatever plan a leader has got. Whether its Aqualad or Winter. Just as long as I can show off some moves every now and then."

Rolling her eyes at the last comment, Winter shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I can make that happen somehow." She chuckled, her ice blue eyes landing on Robin. "What about you, Robin? Are you okay with this? I'm sort of taking your second chance at being the leader if I do this." Her face fell at her own comment, the ice user frowning. "I know you want to be leader of this team just as much as I do. Maybe even more."

Seeing the falter of Winters' confidence, Robin shook his head and rested his hands on his hips. "Yeah. I do want to lead this team, but I know when I've screwed up. I mean, not without a little outside help reminding me." Robin explained, smiling to Winter before continuing.

"I'll follow you, Winter. I may want to be the leader now, but I need to fix a few things. I know the team is in good hands with Kal'dur. With you working as his second in command, this team has got an even better chance at stepping up to show our stuff to the League." The Boy Wonder suggested with his usual trickster tone. "And with the both of us needing to learn a thing or two about leadership, we might even become some pretty big rivals." Robin joked, raising his closed fist up to Winter.

"Ha, you a rival?" Winter comically spoke with a smile. Her body feeling far better than it had for a while, Winter raised her own closed fist to Robin. "You won't be able to keep up."

Robin just smirked. "I always liked a challenge."

The teens giving knowing smiles to one another, the two lightly bumped fists within the illuminated cave, signifying the heroes' mutual agreement.

The answers from her team mates helping to fuel her confidence against her own insecurities, Winter looked to her whole team who had spoken to her. Her eyes settling on the last member of the team who'd been quiet, Winter smiled at Superboy. "I think I already know what you're going to say."

Smirking a little at Winters' words, Superboy looked over to the ice user. "Then you've got my answer."

Nodding at Superboys' answer, Winter took in a deep breath and exhaled, letting her body relax her muscles and contemplate the situation in front of her.

This was from what she expected the mission to be, what it was supposed to play out.

Every twist and turn had skyrocketed them all into situations so crazy and out of their control, that danger had nearly caught two of them in its clutches.

Their cover was blown and their targets knew they were there, but that didn't mean the mission was over.

The group was learning from their mistakes, slowly making their way to becoming a team that could work together. They just needed the leader to keep them together and steer them in the right direction.

It wasn't her in the end. But...that didn't mean she couldn't change that.

A bubbling sensation building deep inside her, Winter smiled and felt confidence burn inside her. No longer was she feeling the sense of insecurity and hesitation that gripped her for most of the mission.

The team looking to one another with knowing looks, Winter gained a confident smile and headed over to Aqualad. Standing in front of the older teen, Winter reached a hand out to her fellow hero.

"Okay. I'll take your offer Kal'dur. I'll become the leader that you see in me. If you're still up to teaching me some stuff that is." Winter spoke, her tone a bit nervous as she tried to find her words.

Smiling at the confirmation, Aqualad nodded and took Winters' hand in his own. "You just need to ask."

Winter nodded, the two heroes keeping eye contact as they shook hands.

"Congratulations you two!" Miss Martian exclaimed with excitement, clapping at the two fellow team mates new positions.

"Yeah. Congrats." Superboy spoke up with not much enthusiasm as Miss Martian but smirked nonetheless.

"Can't wait to see how you two get us out of this mess." Kid Flash joked, raising his eyebrows at the ice user and Atlantean.

Winter smirked at Kid Flash's' comment, taking her hand away from Aqualad and stood beside him.. "Don't worry, Kid. We _three_ have got this." Winter clarified, turning to share a knowing look with Aqualad.

Robins's eyebrows rose at Winters' clarification. "Three?"

"Of course. As they say, three heads are better than one after all. You have the most experience out of all of us. You can help us formulate a strategy for all precautions." Aqualad said.

"And," Winter added with a smile. "it wouldn't be very heroic of me if I got a head start on my supposed rival." Winter motioned for Robin to come over to her and Aqualad's side. "We all participate in this one. All leaders on deck."

The younger hero feeling his face widen with a smile at the older heroines' words, Robin nodded and walked over to Aqualad and Winters' side. "This is going to be one interesting mission."

"You can say that again." Kid Flash added, he and the rest of the others gathering around the three defacto leaders of their team.

Winter just smiled at the younger detective's words before relaxing and slowly steeling herself for her next choice of words. Resting her hands on her hips, Winter moved a hand up to pull her hood off her head, showing the determined face of the heroine to her fellow team mates.

"Okay. Our priority then should be to make sure that shipment doesn't leave the island. If we can ground the plane, the buyer won't have anywhere to go."

Robin nudged Winter lightly in a playful manner with his elbow, making the ice user look to her fellow leader. "Funny. I had the same thought."

"Great minds have a tendency to think alike." Aqualad commented, a knowing smile of approval on his face.

The two heroes turning back to look at Aqualad, Winter and Robin gave Aqualad a matching smile before sharing the same confident look with each other.

"You ready to make this mission a success, _leader_?" Robin asked Winter.

Winter at first said nothing, her gaze moving to everyone gathered around to formulate their next move. She turned her gaze back to Robin, her eyes lighting up with a mix of resolve and confidence.

"Without a doubt, _leader_."

This mission really was going to be something different.

* * *

Ahhh! I'm so sorry this took so long to come out, and even more so that Drop Zone isn't even finished! My finals are coming up in two weeks I have to focus on them or I won't pass my classes, so those are taking my priority.

However, I felt bad not posting for so long since I've been busy, so instead of making this chapter any longer and sort of dragging it out, I instead decided to post the substantial amount I have now and finish the last of it in another chapter once finals are over.

I feel bad I can't finish it all in one chapter, but that's been my sort of formula lately and writing super long chapters can get boring after a while. Nice to change it up. ;3

Please if you can, review! My creativity is gonna get sucked dry during finals, so some encouragement on how my writing is, any plot deviations, or criticisms on character development or romantic development is appreciated.

 _ **Some side notes! Just...because:**_

-My poll on my profile is still up. So if you haven't voted, you can go by and vote on what you want. It's been open for a while now, so I may end up closing it by the end of Drop Zone and see where it tallies.

-If waiting for Winters' Ballad is taking too long for you, I've got side stories that involve Samantha/Winter with Conner in other situations. I recommend _Date_ if you want to see some SamanthaXConner romancy stuff, though it's a little hot, or _Changing Seasons_ since I get to play around with their backgrounds. If you have suggestions for AU! Ideas, place one in a review and I may just use it. ;3

I'm also writing a Beauty and the Beast-inspired story on Samantha/Winter and Conner/Superboy too. Please don't hate me. I saw Beauty and the Beast (live action one) finally and it just rekindled my love for the old fairytale classic. I hope to try and get the first chapter done as soon as finals are over with.

Okay, I think that's it! I hope everyone else is doing okay with classes or finals too. Don't worry, we're all almost there! TAT

Next Chapter: Drop Zone Pt. 3


	11. Drop Zone Pt 3

Hi, everyone! Sorry, this has taken so long to get out. A lot of stuff has been going on from my grandpa finally passing away (on my twin sis and me's birthday no less), trying to prepare for the fall college semesters' deadlines, trying to pack things for moving and a lot of family turmoil. It has been nothing but hectic and stressful the past month. I don't like to make excuses, but in this case, I'd like to think my absence this time was warranted.

I'd also like to use this chance to thank everyone who's been reading, favoriting, and following my story. There isn't much to go off of with what I have submitted so far, but I'm happy that people are getting a kick or enjoying my fic so far and the journey of Samantha Freya/Winter so far. I really want this to go well and make this a story that people can look back on and be like "yeah, that story was pretty awesome. I'll read it again when I need a pick me up" or something like that. ;3

Now, is there anything else I need to update on before we get this started?

Winter: ***raises hand*** Didn't you have to say something before about... ***looks at the piece of paper in hands, eyebrow raised*** Ship names? What are you coming up with behind my back?

CinderellaGirl626: Aw, don't be like that. It's a lot of fun. So far we've got SuperWin, SuperIce, and SteelIce as some suggestions. Do you like any of them, Sammy?

Winter: ***blushes and crumples up paper into a ball*** O-Of course not! I'm not some love sick teenager who thinks up childish names for a relationship that doesn't even exist. They're stupid and I don't care. ***throws paper over shoulder and huffs***

CinderellaGirl626: ***sticks tongue out at Winter*** Fine, whatever. For now, let's get on with the chapter and see some action and development. ;3

* * *

"So, do we all agree on the plan?" Winter asked, eyes darting to each team member in their circle.

"Covered all the outcomes we can think of. We're prepared." Robin spoke first, a satisfied smile on his face.

"I've got our mind link set up and operating." Miss Martian beamed.

Superboy shrugged, looking back at the rest of his team mates. "Yeah. Got it."

Aqualad nodded, moving his gaze among the rest of the group. "We have done all that we can. The only way we can fail is if we do not cooperate with one other."

"Oh C'mon. After that heart to heart, we all had, our bonds or whatever had to of skyrocketed. This'll be a piece of cake." Kid Flash added, giving a thumbs up.

Sighing, Winter moved a few strands of hair from her face but smiled nonetheless. "That's the kind of bravado that's going to get us into bigger messes." She shrugged her shoulders though, adjusting her red hood over her head. "But I guess bravado is just the same as confidence. And I think we could all use a little tonight."

Turning on his holographic computer on his hidden wrist computer, Robin stared down at the digital clock illuminating the cave. "Let's go. We'll need all the time we can get."

Each member of the team nodding in agreement, Robin took up the charge and ran off down the cleared tunnel of the mine, the rest of the group following behind towards the unblocked entrance.

"Sportsmasters' the supplier slash buyer, but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula. Or to get Kobra to do his dirty work." Robin spoke up to his team mates, scrolling through venom formulas he had stolen.

"And neither of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with venom. That had to have taken some serious nerdage." Kid Flash added, speeding over to look at Robins' "borrowed" notes.

"So there's more to this that we're missing?" Miss Martian questioned, flying alongside her team mates as the sight of the mines' entrance way came towards them.

Aqualad, noticing a figure standing at the front of the entrance skidded to a halt, the rest of the team doing the same and stopping behind the leader. Looking up at the form obscured by the moon's light the figure stepped towards them to reveal Bane, smirking and holding a small device in his hand.

"I believe the expression is tip of the iceberg," Aqualad concluded, his eyes glaring at the masked villain.

Blocking the entrance for the young heroes, Bane chuckled and opened his hand to drop a small metal device that was in his hand, the object joining a pile of similar devices on the ground.

Eyes shifting downward to the pile on the ground, Winter couldn't help but bite her lip in frustration. What else did this guy have up his sleeve?!

"Halt, _Ninos_. I'm feeling... _explosive_." Bane said.

Raising her head to look at the roof of the mines' entrance, the ice user and the rest of the team noticed small charges lining the edges of the entranceway.

Winter could already feel a clutching feeling inside her stomach just seeing the blinking lights.

 _ _ **'Great. I knew I was forgetting something.'**__ Winter commented through the mind link.

"You betrayed us. Why?" Aqualad asked, feigning ignorance.

 _ _ **'Robin, do you have anything that can disarm them?'**__ Aqualad asked.

 _ _ **'Sure, but I can't move fast enough to stop the crazy masked wrestler from pressing that button. We need to secure it.'**__ The boy wonder replied, eyes narrowing in on the device in Banes' hand.

 _ _ **'Kid, get the device out of Banes' hands. You'll need a running start.'**__ Aqualad ordered, eyes setting onto Bane who was monologuing his scheme.

"I wanted my factory back. So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. And if the latter, the Justice League would certainly come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared Santa Prisca would be mine once more." Bane proclaimed confidently.

A bit disturbed by the thought out plan Bane had, Winter, mustered a light chuckle, eyes glaring at the villain. She'd need to help keep Bane distracted if their hastily made plan was going to work. "Sounds like you really thought hard on this. Too bad you screwed it up yourself back at the factory. We're all too smart to get ourselves killed."

 _ _ **'I'll take care of the charges as a backup. Just keep him distracted long enough and I'll give the signal to move.'**__ Winter added, her eyes momentarily shifting upwards to look at the blinking charges before moving back to Bane.

Smiling evilly, Bane raised his hand that held the charging device up for the heroes to look at. "My plan may have gone a little off track, but blowing you all up in this mine should have the same effect."

 _ _ **'Now!'**__

Ordering Kid Flash to make his move, Winter threw her hand up into the air, the glow of her powers raging around her fingertips. A blast of cold ice releasing from her hand, the ray coated the charges covering the archway, the devices blinking lights and noises slowly dying out and malfunctioning from the freezing temperatures.

"Oh no, you don't!" Bane exclaimed, seeing Winter freezing the charges. An evil smirk growing on his face and ready for the next scene to play out in front of him, the villain hastily pressed his thumb down hard...

Only to feel his finger press down on his skin.

"What?! But how?" The masked villain asked, eyes glued to his now empty hand.

"Got to be faster than that. Won't be able to do much without this little trigger thingy." Kid Flash joked, the speedster standing a few feet away from Bane with the charge trigger in his hand.

Anger rising within his veins and realizing his plan was falling apart, Bane moved on to a more familiar phase of his plan and roared at the speedster before stepping towards him. Yet, once again Bane's plan was foiled; this time by Winter as she shot another ray of ice towards Bane's feet.

The cold ice crawling up his body and encasing his form, Bane yelled as the ice finally stopped, leaving his body safe for his shoulders and head encased in ice. Hoping to wriggle out of the icy prison, Bane growled beneath his breath and glared at the young heroes as he continued to struggle. "You'd all be pieces if I had my trigger!"

"Dude, stay whelmed. You've already lost this fight." Robin commented, smirking as the group surrounded their newest prisoner.

"I don't think he's gonna shut up anytime soon." Kid Flash muttered, handing the charge trigger to Aqualad. "What are we gonna do with masked popsicle here?"

Disarming the trigger, Aqualad shifted his gaze from the device to Bane. "We cannot waste any more time."

"We could just leave him here. Winters' ice won't melt with how chilly it is outside tonight and he can't really get off the island." Miss Martian suggested, eyes gazing at the ice surrounding Bane.

Shaking her head, Winter walked a bit closer to the steaming Bane. "True, but I don't like leaving him on his own. We should at least take extra measures. Given he's already been willing to mess up our plans, betray us, and kill us. Something quick but efficient so we can get back to the real threat."

Hearing the group talking amongst themselves, Bane glared at the teens surrounding him and roared at them. "Take whatever measures you like _Ninos_. You can't get rid of me that easily!"

Eyebrow raised at the verbal challenge given by Bane, Winter turned to look over at Aqualad and Robin, the three leaders sharing eye contact for a few moments. Silent words exchanged between them and nods from each, Winter smiled and nodded herself before moving back to look at Bane with an unsettling smile of satisfaction.

"I'm glad you're so confident about that. This'll make the next part a lot more enjoyable." Winter explained, a small smirk replacing her smile.

Grinning evilly, Bane sneered. "What are you going to do, _chica_? Slap me for hurting your pride earlier?"

For a moment Winters' smirk faltered and shrank to a thin line of contemplation, her mind processing the quip Bane had retorted. However, unlike before when she'd be taken in by his insults, this time she didn't show any signs of uncertainty or fear. Her form exuding confidence and strength, Winter closed her eyes for a moment, only to open them and show the same mix of strength and conviction within her ice blue orbs. "Lucky for you, I'm not so callous as to hold petty grudges or use force out of revenge. You may have gotten the better of me earlier with your insults, but I won't be taking those lies to heart this time, Bane."

"Oooh," Bane spoke with sarcasm as he leaned his head best he could towards Winter, hoping to agitate her. "I'm shaking in my boots."

Feeling her lips curl into a smirk, Winters' eyes glistened with a playful twinkle. "I hope so. While I'd love to have a little payback for your choice of words earlier, I promised someone he'd get the honors next time you annoyed him. And I'm a woman of my word."

With that said Winter stepped back from Bane, her spot quickly filled in by an excited looking Superboy.

"I hope you rethink your actions the next time you try to betray our team," Winter concluded, crossing her arms over her chest and watching Superboy ready his fist.

Cracking his knuckles and smirking at the trapped villain who'd been ruining their plans, Superboy moved his arm back to reel back a punch, his eyes staring right into those of his frozen target.

Banes' sneer fell just as the strong fist collided with his face.

The force of the punch making a cracking noise from flesh hitting against flesh, the villain was shattered out of his icy prison from the attack and skidded onto the dirt ground unconscious, shards of ice along the ground and on his chest.

The team watching the sight in a slight mix of awe and wonder, Kid Flash broke the silence when he zoomed over to the downed Bane and smiled. "Nice punch, dude."

"He's not going to get up from that for a while," Robin added, rubbing his own cheek at witnessing the strength of their ally.

Frowning at the result of Bane, Miss Martian shrugged and floated over to Robin and Kid Flash. "I suppose...that's one way to make sure he doesn't interfere."

"Been waiting to do that all night," Superboy said, rubbing his sore hand. "He's still tough to punch, even when he can't move."

"Most likely some after effects from using venom for so long. May not be as beefed up as he usually is, but his skin has gotten a lot tougher from it. Trust me." Robin added, tying up Bane's limbs and heading back to the others.

"At least he's taken care of. And he's stopped talking." Winter muttered thankfully, eyes gazing at the tied up Bane and over to the rest of her group. Yet, she felt her ice blue eyes drift unintentionally over to Superboy again. As much as she wanted to scold herself for her attention being deterred, the ice user noticed the super clone rubbing the hand he'd punched Bane with.

"Is your hand okay, Superboy?" Winter asked, the ice user walking over to check on her team mate.

Blue eyes meeting her own, Superboy turned his head to look at Winter and shrugged. "Sort of. It stings a bit and feels warm."

"You might have punched Bane a little bit too hard then," Winter spoke, eyes gazing down at the hand Superboy was scratching at. "Here, let me see."

Bending down to grasp the injured hand and get a better look, Winter began to slowly rub her right hand across the knuckle of Superboy, letting the chill of her powers conjure on the surface of her skin and settle on the stinging muscles of her friend.

"Does that feel okay, Superboy? It isn't too cold for you?" Winter asked, striking a simple conversation.

Superboy said nothing at first, his gaze still set on the joined hands. Thankfully he responded moments later. "I'm not feeling any more pain. I think it's working."

Winter nodded, lessening the effect of her powers on Superboys' injury. "Good. Just tell me if it gets to be too much."

The conversation ended momentarily after that, the sounds of Aqualad and Robin discussing segments of their plan together and Miss Martian and Kid Flash inspecting the unconscious Bane keeping the two distracted from their mutual silence. And then, Superboy suddenly spoke again.

"I'm glad."

Winter moved her gaze upward, the sound of Superboys' voice breaking her away from her silent task.

"Glad?" Winter questioned. "For what?"

"You don't look as sad as you did before," Superboy answered casually.

Her hand freezing in place at the words, Winter felt taken aback by Superboys' simple comment. A small feeling of warmth rose up in her chest, a mix of surprise and embarrassment swelling through her veins.

"Oh," Winter mustered out, her gaze sticking to Superboys' hand so her flushed face could not be seen. "Yeah, that was an embarrassing moment for me; getting caught up in Banes' insults and words. I shouldn't have even listened to him in the first place."

Her eyes still stuck on his healing hand, Winter took in a deep breath and moved her gaze upward, her eyes settling on Superboy who looked down at her. "Thanks again, Superboy. For what you did earlier. I didn't think I'd need it, but your words really helped me get my head on straight. So...yeah." She concluded as she stood back on her feet, unable to figure out any other words to say and showed a grateful smile to the clone.

Nodding, Superboy smirked at Winter. "No problem. Thanks for letting me get the last punch in on Bane."

"It was nothing. I wouldn't be doing a good job as a leader in training if I didn't keep my promises." Winter responded, moving a hand up to hold in a laugh.

Superboy gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Told you you'd make a good leader."

The warmth of embarrassment inside her morphing into that of satisfaction, Winter felt a wave of relief swell through her body and her shoulders fall to a relaxed position.

"I shouldn't have doubted you." She answered, feeling her smile grow as she finished the last touches to Superboys' injury. "How does your hand feel now? Still stinging?" Winter asked.

Superboy shook his head, making no move to break their prolonged contact.

"It's good. Doesn't hurt anymore."

Winters' hand unconsciously gripped Superboys' a bit tighter at the response.

"Good. I'm happy to hear that."

Feeling like her gaze was stuck fully on Superboy, a voice in the back of her mind scolded her faintly about what she was doing. More importantly, what she was feeling.

Was it wrong that deep in the back of her mind somewhere Winter wanted the two to stay like this? Smiling and supporting each other? Just staying the way they were? That familiar warmth she experienced before in the factory reappeared once more when she felt her hand still in Superboys'. The way it made her skin tingle and make her stomach drop at the same time.

How could holding someones' hand make her feel like she was going insane, yet want to keep doing so?

Winter wished that Ice Maiden had given her more clear advice about her feelings when she had asked.

"Are you done helping Superboy, Winter?"

"What?" A new voice suddenly snapping Winter out of her stupor, the ice user looked over to Aqualad who stood alongside Robin nearby, the two staring at Superboy and her. "S-Sorry. You said something?"

"We asked if you and Superboy are good to go? Or are you a little busy?" Robin asked coyly, his masked eyes clearly staring at the two heroes clasped hands.

Her gaze moving down to Superboys' and her own hand still together Winter quickly took her hand, placing it at her side rigidly and grasping at the red frills of her stealth outfit. "N-No! I-I mean...yes. I-I mean we aren't busy, and yes we're both ready to depart."

Curse her nativity for getting lost in her thoughts again!

Aqualad raised a brow at the reaction of Winter, but let the moment pass and gave an affirmative nod. "Alright. Then let us join the others."

"Of course," Winter answered, watching Aqualad and Robin, who gave a playful chuckle as he walked off, head back to Miss Martian and Kid Flash. Turning her head to look over and make eye contact with Superboy, Winter coughed to clear her throat and the tension in the air and motioned with her hand for her secret crush to follow. The two soon made their way to the rest of the team.

Yet again had Winter found herself getting distracted by her team mate.

For a moment her thoughts went back to what Ice Maiden had spoken to her at the ice rink hours ago. Of how she would know if she liked someone, didn't, or was truly in love with someone. However complicated that discussion had been and how mature the words were, Winter knew one thing was clear.

She needed to figure whatever these feelings she had for Superboy were and soon. If she didn't, who knew how many more times she would end up getting distracted at the wrong time.

* * *

The sounds of machinery and engines roared throughout the small venom operations compound. With the appearance of the nuisance Bane, but also a surprise visit from sidekicks of the Justice League appearing on the island, Kobra could not let any slip ups come through during one of the most crucial operations of his cult.

Not when the buyer was already here and ready.

He would not disappoint his client's higher ups. With the amount of money Sportsmaster and whoever it was he was working with being given to him and his members' efforts to help transport the newly experimental Venom, Kobra himself was not willing to let any nuisances ruin his plans or reputation as a formidable threat.

Especially not those under the age of eighteen.

Eyes scanning across the helipad area of the factory, the tall, pale cult leader watched alongside Sportsmaster as a group of his followers alongside his bodyguard, Shimmer, head towards him.

Bowing to his superior with great haste, one of the cultists' raised his head to speak. "The helicopter is operational, exalted one."

Turning his head to give a nod of respect to Sportsmaster, the fellow masked villain made no sounds of thanks or gratitude. Taking his first step towards the large aircraft to make his escape, Sportsmaster stopped momentarily as a short gust of wind began to pick up in the air.

"Is something wrong?" Kobra asked, annoyance and concern mixed within his question.

His question was quickly answered, yet not by the armored man. Speeding through in a quick blur of black and red, Kid Flash skidded straight through the groups of lined Kobra cult members, his feet screeching hard on the concrete of the landing pad before moving again without time for the cultists to spot him.

A couple agents knocked down from his attack, members lifted their guns in an attempt to shoot the blurring teen but found their eyes were too slow to catch sight of the speedster before they themselves were knocked down, bullets shooting in the air as they fell hard on their backs.

Glaring at Kid Flash every few seconds he could see him, Kobra turned his gaze to Sportsmaster. "Take the shipment!" He yelled, his voice crying out above the loud bangs of gunfire. His warning taken by Sportsmaster, the villain gave a silent nod and ran off towards the roaring plane.

The bangs of gunshots ringing in the air, a booming sound accompanied it off in the distance. Superboy, jumping into the air from the forest landed hard into the helipad area. The impact shaking the ground beneath him and creating a miniature crater where he stood, the teen looked up towards Kobra and the familiar figure of the Venom enhanced bodyguard, Mammoth.

Blue eyes sticking to the Kobra soldier, Superboy smirked. "Go again?"

A monstrous snarl escaping the sharp toothed mouth of Mammoth, the beastly bodyguard took on the challenge, stomping his way towards Superboy as fast as his muscled legs could move.

Kid Flash rushing by to push down a cultist that was in the way, Mammoth reached a clawed arm out to grasp at Superboys' head but roared as a pressure knocked him off to the side. Sliding across the battlefield and raising his large arms up to block the attack, Mammoth roared and glared towards his newest attacker, that being Aqualad who's arms were aglow from the use of his powers.

Making no time for Mammoth to try and find a weak spot, Aqualad pushed the water he was controlling further towards the large beast man, the water crashing against the villain harshly to keep him at bay.

"Sorry. Not the plan." Superboy called to Mammoth with a grin, happy to see the strategy the group had devised was working.

Growling loudly at both Aqualad and Superboy, Mammoth gritted his large teeth as he tried to stand his ground against the rushing water pressing on him. Finally able to keep himself standing, the large creature began to take a step every few seconds, fighting against the water.

"We can't have that!" Rushing onto the battlefield towards Aqualad in a quick sprint, Winter with black cape flowing behind her maneuvered close by to the Atlanteans' side before jumping a few feet into the air. "I'm borrowing this, Aqualad." Turning her eyes down to the flowing water between Aqualad and Mammoth, Winter threw her arm in a quick swipe, conjuring a blast of freezing cold temperature to collide with the water she was heading towards and smiled at the water pillar now turning into ice.

Landing on the slowly freezing water, Winter pushed her body forward to grind on the newly made ice column. Her small body speeding downwards toward Mammoth, the ice user focused on her target who was clawing at the ice growing on his chest and jumped into the air, moving her leg upward to kick Mammoth square in the jaw.

The bodyguard growling in pain as he snapped off the chilling ice, Winter landed one foot back onto the pillar before continuing the motion in a hasty, yet steady acrobatic cartwheel backward towards her allies. Making her way back to the origin point of the water, Winter moved her hands downwards one last time onto the ice and called on her powers to raise the temperature of the water within. Pushing herself upwards off of the pillar, Winter landed on her feet alongside Aqualad as the once durable pillar of ice shifted in a flash to its original state of flowing water.

"He's all yours," Winter said, her gaze shifting to Aqualad who began to regain control of the now unfrozen water.

Taking his water bearers upwards to move the water towards himself, Aqualad gave a confident nod and turned his attention back towards the momentarily stunned Mammoth. Calling upon his Atlantean magic to move the water back to his control, Aqualad gave out a short battle cry as he pushed a large wave of water back at Mammoth like he'd previously done, the water hitting its mark.

Taking the opportunity of surprise, Aqualad glared down at the roaring giant as he called on his magic, this time electrifying the water cascading Mammoth. The current of energy making its way towards him, the large brute was electrocuted moments later, falling to his knees in pain at the high voltage.

"He is down for now. I will continue the fight to keep him busy. Help the others." Aqualad commanded, motioning for Superboy and Winter to head off further into the battlefield.

"You've got it, leader," Winter responded, giving a light wink to the Atlantean. Turning on her foot to head off to another part of the battle, Winter motioned for Superboy to follow, the two running off as they kicked down a few cultists and dodged a few bullets on the way.

Running off across the landing zone to try and maneuver around the cultists that were growing in numbers, Winter stopped quickly and jumped to the side, a bullet narrowly missing her left shoulder. Rolling on the ground and moving back to her feet, the ice user was just about to move her hand up to create a wall of ice, but gritted her teeth at the sight of four gunmen a few feet away, barrels pointed towards her.

Feeling her breath catch in her throat as her mind flashed back to the similar situation with Kid Flash, Winter felt like time had slowed down as she ducked down low to the ground to try and cover herself from any potentially deadly ammunition.

The sounds of guns cocking and bangs of gunpowder blasting through the air, Winter yelped in fear at the sounds but realized she had felt no pain come towards her despite the continuous sounds of bullets being fired. Raising her head up despite the potential danger, the ice user felt her eyes widen at the sight of Superboy crouched in front of her, back facing away from her as he took on the hailstorm of metal shells rocketing through the air.

"S-Superboy!" Winter exclaimed, realizing her team mate was protecting her.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Superboy shut his eyes for a moment, only to open them and look down at Winter. "You okay?"

Unable to form words at the moment, the ice user hastily nodded but ducked closer to him as a bullet whizzed close by her face. "Yeah! Nothing's hit me yet!" She yelled over the gunfire.

The sounds of bullets rushing past her, Winter clawed at the dirt beneath her fingernails at the predicament the two were in. Her eyes shifting downwards at her hands and taking a moment to look side to side, Winter breathed in a couple deep breaths to regain her focus.

Pressing her hands hard into the dirt on her right-hand side, Winter began to freeze the ground nearby her, watching as frost began to coat the dirt and grass near her and Superboy's position. Calling upon her powers further, the ice user soon moved her hands upwards, watching as a large wall of ice sprouted out of the ground like a tree. For a moment the cultists stopped shooting their guns due to the awe at the sudden wall of ice appearing.

Taking the split second chance she had, Winter climbed back to a crouching position on her feet and grabbed onto Superboy's shirt. Tugging hard, the ice user pulled Superboy with her into a quick roll on the ground, moving behind the makeshift wall of ice for cover just as a bullet was shot at them again.

Adrenaline pumping through her and her heart beating a mile a minute, Winter took the moment of reprieve from the bullet storm to collect herself. Leaning on the wall of ice behind her, Winter sighed and turned her gaze to her fellow hero.

"Superboy, are you alright?" Winter asked, trying to check to see if there were any extensive wounds on the clone.

Scratching at his back, Superboy growled as he showed off his shirt covered in bullet holes. "I'm fine. Those guys just ruined one of my shirts."

Sighing in relief at no sight of blood or holes in the teens back, Winter shook her head. "We can go shopping for another one, I promise. But we need to finish this mission first." She explained, turning her head to the left-hand side of the wall to try and get a better look at the cultists' position.

"I better go give em double for that," Superboy concluded, getting up to head back into the fray.

"Wait," Winter exclaimed, grabbing onto the clone's wrist to stop him. "Don't be reckless. You've already taken enough damage from them and we don't know how much firepower they have in there."

Stopping to look back at Winter and listen to her advice, Superboy grunted beneath his breath. "Fine. What's the plan?"

Feeling a burst of nervousness pour within her chest at the sound of Superboy asking for a plan, Winter felt her throat go dry. Biting her lip uncertainly, Winter gazed at the wall of ice the two hid behind.

"I would use my Frost Step to speed over there and freeze their guns, but with a number of bullets being shot towards me, one hit or slip and I'm dead. Not to mention I've used it about more than twice today. I don't know how much energy I have left to even use it." Winter commented, reaching her hand out to touch the thick wall of ice, only to pull it away at the feeling of a bullet hitting the other side.

Her hand going back to touch the wall of ice, Winter played scenarios in her mind over and over as she tried to come up with some sort of plan for them to use. Slowly rubbing her hand across the icy surface, the ice user could make out the forms of the cultists beyond the ice, their blurry figures in the far off distance.

Superboy had already taken damage. Even if he was near invulnerable, she couldn't risk him getting hurt just to make a plan work for them. She had her Frost Step, but with the amount of time she'd need to recover from using it before countering, the cultists would already have guns pointed and ready to fire at her. And they wouldn't show mercy the way things were looking.

However, if she could get them distracted long enough and she and Superboy worked off each other one after the other...

"That might work," Winter muttered to herself.

Superboy, who'd been crouched nearby the right-hand side of the wall to try and get a look at the cultists from afar, turned his head to look at Winter who'd spoken. "You got a plan?"

"I think so," Winter responded, catching Superboys' gaze. "You remember how I used my Frost Step to help us dodge that cave in?"

"Yeah. I've never moved so fast before." Superboy said, his hand reaching up to scratch at his head, mimicking when he had ruffled snowflakes out of his hair.

"That's the idea. If we time it right I think I can get us both over there without those goons seeing us, but I need you to help me. Once I deactivate my powers I'll need to regulate my body temperature back to normal, so I'll be open. Once that happens, help counterattack. I'll back you up while I recover." Winter explained, moving back from the wall and heading towards Superboy.

Nodding at the plan being listed out to him, Superboy kept his gaze on Winter as she stopped to stand next to him. "Got it. Just warn me when we go."

"Don't worry. You'll know when." Winter added, clasping her hands together and activating her powers. Her powers glowing within the space between the palms of her hands, the light swirled together and grew outwards until it formed a small orb of ice appeared between her hands.

Eyebrow raised at the ice ball, Superboy spoke up. "What's that for?"

The newly formed ball of ice to Superboy, Winter took his free hand and placed it around her wrist. "A distraction to deter the guns away from us. On my signal throw it as hard as you can into the air. I'm going to speed off right after, so be ready."

Not making any other comments about the plan or the orb now placed in his hand, Superboy stared at the object for another second, only to move his eyes back onto Winter and nod. "Ready."

Smiling and giving him the same nod, Winter turned her head back towards the edge of the wall she'd be running towards. Inhaling a deep breath to relax her nerves, the ice user began to build up the cool energy within her for the third or fourth time that night, digging her boots into the ground and shifting back and forth on each to steady herself.

"Alright. We're good to go. On my mark." Winter spoke in a quiet whisper, loud enough for only the two of them to hear. The sounds of gunshots still ringing in the air, Winter moved her left hand up to grip over Superboys' that was clasped to her wrist, helping to keep him close to her.

"...Go!" Winter exclaimed loudly.

Pulling his arm back with the orb of ice in hand, Superboy growled out loudly as he called upon his strength to throw the makeshift distraction up into the air as far as he could. Moving his arm forward and throwing the ball upwards, the ice ball flew high into the sky, causing the cultists from afar to momentarily stop their shooting, their eyes drifting upwards to the unknown object. Unsure if it was a threat, the cultists targeted the orb and began firing.

"Here we go!" Digging her boots into the dirt of the ground and crouching low to prepare herself, Winter activated her ability as she took her first step forward. Feeling her body turn icy cold as per usual effect and feeling her body become lighter, Winter gripped tightly onto Superboys' hand upon her arm as she and the super powered teen disappeared into thin air, their forms shifting into a gust of snowflakes and chilling gusts of wind.

Pushing herself forward through the chilly whirlwind engulfing herself and her comrade, Winter eyed down the cultists ahead of her, their movements moving in slow motion as if water engulfed their bodies. Seeing the two getting closer to their destination, Winter took one final step forward and pushed the edge of her feet hard into the ground, feeling her boots skid against the dirt. The draining effect of her power crushing down on her body, Winter turned her head back to look over to Superboy, the teen gritting his teeth from the sudden increase of speed, but for a moment looked at her with a strained smirk.

Feeling a rush of energy flow through her despite her fatigue, Winter turned her head back towards the cultists as the two heroes finally skidded behind the group, unaware of their arrival. The veil of cold wind and snowflakes disappearing from the two, Winter felt herself falter for a moment as her knees buckled from the lack of energy, the ice user gritting her teeth as the two reappeared like a magic trick.

"Superboy, help me take them out!" Winter called out, swinging her arm in front of her to shoot a weak arc of ice towards the backs of her enemies.

Hearing the sudden call of the young teen, the cultists stopped their shooting to turn back, eyes widening at the sight of their targets now suddenly behind them. Turning their guns towards them, two cultists cried out as the ray of ice connected with their guns, the barrels freezing shut and feeling their feet freeze to the ground.

Using the moment of surprise to make his move, Superboy let go of Winters' wrist, rushing towards the frozen cultists with a hard ram of his shoulder. The force knocking the first one back into the one next to him, Superboy then moved towards the other two, his hand grabbing onto one of the guns and crushing it in his hands. Throwing the scraps off to the side a quick jab of two punches connected with a cultist, and with faster reflexes took him by the shoulders and threw him onto the last standing enemy.

Feeling her legs regain their strength, Winter stood up with a shaky start and rushed over to Superboys' side, checking the downed cultists for any signs of struggling. Thankful this small fight was over Winter flicked her hand out towards the discarded weapons, freezing each one solid.

"There. Fewer bullets shooting at us." Winter commented, blowing a strand of unkempt hair out of her face. Moving her gaze to her team mate, Winter gave a quick thumbs up. "Nice team work."

Smashing one of the frozen guns beneath his feet, Conner nodded "Guess we're not missing something so important anymore, huh?"

Smiling, Winter couldn't help but nod in agreement. They had really improved since the last time they'd teamed up together.

Raising her head up, Winter looked out at the mess raging on so far. Everyone was scattered across doing their part of the plan, their own battles and tricks being played out on the battlefield.

Aqualad was taking care of Mammoth on his own.

Kid Flash was rushing across the field to take away all of the cultists dangerous toys.

Miss Martian had been tasked with setting up an extra charge they'd been able to salvage from Bane to stop the Kobra Venom shipment.

And Robin had tacked himself to Kobra, knowing he had the most experience fighting against him and knowing his techniques.

Everyone but her and Superboy was split up, having their own roles to play. They'd agreed on who would do what before they initiated the plan, all but Winter and Superboy who decided to move around the battle if help was ever needed. What would their next move be?

She was a leader now. Those choices were up to her.

"I need to find out the situation," Winter muttered to herself, realizing the most important thing was to get a status update.

 ** _ **'Status report.' W**_** inter called to the team in an authoritative voice via their mid link.

 ** _ **'Takin' on the bozos with guns still. I can do this all night.'**_** Kid Flash answered cockily.

 ** _ **'Mammoth and I are still engaged in combat, but I am wearing him down.'**_** Aqualad added.

 ** _ **'I've got my sights on Kobra. Been keeping him busy, but I'm not doing any real damage. I could use some help.'**_** Robin called out.

 ** _ **'Superboy and I are free. We'll come by for backup, Robin. Miss Martian, how's the charge going?'**_** Winter telepathically called to the female heroine.

Miss Martian not answering at first, the ice user felt her lips turn downwards into a frown. It was only seconds later that a familiar voice popped into her head, dissuading her worries.

 ** _ **'Setting it now. Sportsmaster hasn't caught on yet, but we need to hurry. He'll try to leave any sec-ah!'**_**

Feeling her blood run cold at the sudden cut off of the communication, Winter whipped her head sharply towards the roaring plane still grounded in the distance. Eyes narrowing to try and spot the battle going on up ahead, the taller form of Sportsmaster shooting at Miss Martian made the ice user clench her teeth tightly.

"Superboy, help Miss Martian! I'll go after Robin!" Winter ordered. Throwing a blast of ice at the ground ahead of her, Winter turned and sprinted off in the direction she had seen Robin run off and jumped onto the newly coated ground, skating at high speeds past broken crates, rubble, and unconscious cultists.

 _ _Please be okay, Miss Martian.__

The body of the large factory building coming closer into view as she skated further through the wreckage, blue orbs narrowed in on the tall, and very pale figure of Kobra. Winter had never met the foe before until this night, and seeing him every few times on the mission and hearing about his cult from Robin hadn't given her a very good image of what the villain was like. His cloaked physique hadn't made helped her impressions either.

Yet seeing his muscled, stout form of the cult leader handling a tight grip on Robin's ankle and lifting him at least a foot or two in the air, the ice user made a mental note to not underestimate the villain.

"Hey! Pick on somebody your own size!" Winter yelled at Kobra, jumping off the ground and throwing a round kick towards the villains' chest.

Robin taking his chance to flip out of the cult leaders' grip, Winters' attack collided squarely into Kobra's muscled body. Making no signs of pain or recoil at her attack, Kobra just stared at his newest opponent, red eyes burning holes into her.

Gritting her teeth and hastily using her strength to push herself off the villain, Winter flipped backward and landed next to Robin, lifting two fists in front of her and standing in a fighting stance.

"You weren't kidding when you said you needed a hand," Winter muttered beneath her breath to Robin, her gaze never leaving Kobras' form as she shook her foot. "Gah! Feels like I just kicked my foot right into a stone wall."

Letting a nervous snort, Robin smiled and looked to his team mate in the corner of his masked eyes. "Guess he's got more time to exercise than most."

Like his namesake, venom dripped from within his blood red gaze, Kobra glaring downwards at the two heroes opposite of him. "What is the matter, children? You look disconcerted."

Matching the glare with her own, Winter breathed out a frosty breath as orbs of white light glowed within her hands. Opening them for a moment and closing her fingertips around the orbs, the light shaped itself into an elongated form in her hands, stretching a bit past her forearms before stopping and exploding in its usual flurry of light and snowflakes. Gripping the handles of her ice weapons tightly, Winter threw her arms up in a defensive position, revealing a pair of ice crafted tonfas.

"Worry about yourself, Kobra." Winter retorted, rushing towards him with weapons in hand. "Robin, Angel Wing!"

"You got it!" Running behind Winter and pulling out a pair of explosive Batarang, Robin took aim and swung his arm out, releasing the explosive projectiles towards Kobra.

Moving his arm up to protect himself, the projectiles whizzed past Winter and struck the tall cult leader, exploding on impact and creating a large smokescreen of fire and smoke.

Sprinting in with his vision clouded, Winter dragged her feet into the ground and ducked downward, skidding towards Kobra and taking aim at his chest. Tonfa neatly guarding her right arm, Winter rammed right into the villain's chest and continued the assault by retaliating with a second jab to the chest with her left fist, doing the same as she switched to each fist and rained down an assault of punches.

Robin heading in soon after, the boy wonder closed in towards Winter and made a quick jump. Landing on his team mates' shoulder to boost him upwards, Robin vaulted off of Winter into the smoke screen and raised a leg up to press a dropkick downwards on the distracted Kobras' head.

Absorbing the jabs made by Winter like a sponge, Kobra made no move to retaliate for a time. It was only after the fourth punch that he moved his arm outwards, his large hand catching Winters' fist. Feeling the ice user fight against his grip and try to continue her attack, Kobra moved his gaze upward to see Robin in the air, aiming a kick down towards him.

"Simpletons. To think you could beat a God." Kobra spoke out to nobody in particular. Calling upon his upper body strength to grip Winters' hand tighter within his own, Kobra turned his body and pulled Winter along with him, spinning and throwing the ice user off to the side. Moving just enough to narrowly miss the attack made by Robin, Kobra heard the boy slam his foot on the ground behind him. Rotating back around to face him, Kobra moved a leg up and forced a strong side kick into the boys' chest, knocking the smaller teen off his feet into the ground nearby Winter.

Covering her body with her arms to save herself from any long term damage, Winter collided with the ground hard but turned herself upwards to stick her boots into the ground and stand back up. Pushing her braids out of her face and readjust her cloak from the mess Kobra had thrown her into, Winter turned her gaze to Robin who'd landed on his feet nearby her, the boy wonder wiping his face from dirt caught on him.

"Robin, you okay?" Winter called to her team mate, taking in a few deep breaths while gripping the breaking ice tonfa's still in her hands.

Turning his gaze to her, Robin gave a thumbs up to Winter. "Never better. But I'd seriously like to get this situation whelmed."

Laughing at the strange play on words Robin was used to making, Winter crushed the ice weapons within her hands and looked back at Kobra. "Me too, but hand to hand combat isn't working on this guy. At least for me."

"Keep at him. We'll wear him down even-" A sudden explosion cut off Robins' voice, the sound shaking the ground beneath the two heroes feet and turning their heads.

Looking off to where the sound seemed to originate from, a cloud of smoke, fire, and debris collapsed downwards into the forest of the island, remnants of the helicopter Sportsmaster had come in crashing into the Venom factory, setting it aflame.

Unable to hold in the smile on her face, Winter moved her gaze to the boy wonder. "Looks like Miss Martian and Superboy got their end of the plan done with a bang." Letting her words process, Winter scowled at her choice of words. "Ugh, I can't believe I just said that."

Matching her smile, Robin nodded and turned back to face Kobra. "Better than saying it was explosive." Robin joked, using Banes' previous play on words for his own use.

"Don't you start too. Or I won't hear the end of it once Kid catches wind of your puns." Winter poked back, focusing her thoughts on creating a new pair of ice weapons. Imagining the familiar look and feel of the modified ice knuckles she used back in Star City, Winter moved her hands over her opposite ones to coat her fingers in ice, moving them around every so often to help get a feel for the still new weapons.

Finishing the last touches with the barrel like mod on her wrist, Winter flexed her fingers within the ice knuckles and waved her hands over each barrel, stocking them with well-portioned ice shards. Moving her hands up in a boxing position, Winter breathed out a cold foggy breath. "I'm ready for round two."

"So am I," Robin added, taking out batarangs and placing them between his fingers.

Taking no chance for Kobra to try and flea, Robin ran towards the cult leader in haste, weapons ready to fire. Throwing waves of them towards the villain as he rushed towards him, the boy wonder headed into a large cloud of smoke and heat, keeping himself low to the ground to dodge any attacks to his upper body. With projectiles of ice striking the villain from a distance, Robin closed in on him with a hardened flat palm, ready to strike his chin upwards through the smokescreen.

His vision stuck in a focus of adrenaline and tunnel vision, Robin choked out a cry as Kobras' unused hand shot out from the side, grabbing the smaller boy at the scruff of his uniform. Pulling the boy over his shoulder, Kobra slammed Robin hard onto the dirt ground. The breath knocked out of him from the impact, Robins' body jumped off the ground for a moment before landing with a thud, the boy groaning from the pain radiating through his body.

"Robin!" Witnessing her team mates' collapsed state, Winter hastily shot out ice shard after ice shard at Kobra's form, hoping to distract the villain from continuing any more harm to the younger teen.

The ice shattering like glass against his skin and failing to cut him, Kobras' red eyes moved away from the battered Robin, staring off at the large factory bonfire beyond him before shifting to meet the glaring blue of Winter. "The time to play games is over."

"Who said any of us were playing!?" Winter yelled at Kobra, her assault of ice shards concluding after throwing her last one. Her mind befuddled with anger at the villain, the ice user concentrated her powers into her body, crouching low to the ground and taking aim dead center at Kobra ahead of her.

Feeling her body begin to drop once more to freezing cold temperatures and willing her body to ignore the cold pain that was starting to set in on her muscles, Winter clenched her teeth in pain but still took a step forward, pushing herself to sprint in a whirlwind of snowflakes with the help of her Frost Step.

Her gaze set on Kobra from the very start, Winter continued her dash towards the villain.

What would she do once she got close enough? Freeze his hands? His feet? Incase him in an icy prison as she did to Brick in Star City? There had to be some way she could stop this lunatic before he did serious damage to her and Robin!

As her last thought went through her mind as Winter spotted herself just two feet away from Kobra, Winters' racing mind went to a screeching halt.

"Ah!" A striking pain radiating through her arms and legs, Winter couldn't help but feel her concentration weaken from the pain, the ice user shifting her eyes to check on her limbs for any damage. Uncertain of what caused the pain before, Winter cursed mentally at the sight of ice coating parts of her arm and legs, noting that the ice had not been there before or during the battle.

 _ _Of course! Now of all times for Frost Step to backfire on me!__

Her limbs beginning to feel heavy and sting her muscles, Winter couldn't help but feel her Frost Step collapse all around her, making the ice user reappear nearby Kobra. Feeling her legs were becoming heavier and stinging from the freezing pain on her skin and muscles, Winter watched as she felt her legs falter in step, causing the ice user to slow down her pace towards the observing villain.

Seeing his opportunity to counterattack against the now open hero, Kobra gave a cold unmerciful glare to Winter as he raised a knee towards her, his leg connecting hard into her stomach. Knocking the wind right out of her, Kobra continued the assault by swinging his arm towards her side, pushing her off her feet and watching her collide hard onto the dirt ground,

"Ugh!" Landing hard on the ground and moving her stinging arms as best she could around her stomach area, Winter coughed out the pain in her chest to try and regulate her breathing; eyes squeezed shut from the combination of aches running through her. Groaning as she rolled on her back to try and help her herself recover, a sharp pain crashed on her chest. Gasping out a painful cry and moving her tired hands to grasp around whatever it was on her, Winter willed her eyes to open through the cloud of discomfort and spotted the blurry figure of Kobra standing above her.

Boot atop the ice users' chest, Kobra stared down at the beaten teen, slowly starting to apply pressure onto his boot and crush Winters' chest cavity. "I am plagued by mosquitos!"

Doing her best to keep herself from blacking out from the tough ability to breathe, Winters' pained expression turned to a discomforting grin, keeping her eyes locked on the blurry looking Kobra. "Well, we try our best. Wouldn't...be heroes if we didn't ruin the bad guys' plans." She finished, gasping for more oxygen.

"And we're all mighty concerted over your pain!" A familiar voice yelled towards Kobra.

A small projectile flung into the face of Kobra, the small object exploded to release a greenish gas into Kobras' face, making the cult leader cough out the noxious fumes. Swatting the gas out of his face and taking a moment to step back from the toxic air, Winter took the opportunity of Kobra's foot getting off her chest to roll out his way, landing on her chest and do her best to push herself off the ground.

"Need a hand?" Wincing a the bruise that was likely forming on her chest, Winter looked to her right to see the concerned face of Robin at her side, offering help. Seeing the rest of the team rush over to their aid, Winter couldn't help but smile a bit at the cavalry coming to their rescue.

Taking the kind gesture and getting pulled to her feet by the thirteen-year-old, Winter held an arm around her waist and focused her eyes on Kobra. "It's over, Kobra. Your operation has fallen through and your cult is done."

"You're outnumbered. Make the smart decision and surrender, less you want another fight on your hands." Aqualad spoke authoritatively.

"With more than just a one on two fight," Robin added, moving his hands to his utility belt in case a new fight was imminent.

The team banded together and standing to face Kobra on his lonesome, the cult leader shifted his gaze to each member of the team, as if he was assessing their abilities and conditions. Silence communicated on both sides, Kobra opened his lips to speak.

"It seems you are correct. I am outnumbered." He spoke, eyes narrowing at the observation. Yet, as soon as he said this, the cult leader took one step back. His first step soon becomes two, then three, until he made his way back into the dark forest of Santa Prisca. "Another time then."

Robin, seeing the villain make his escape, rushed towards the cult leader as fast as his legs could take him. Making his first step into the forest, the boy wonder felt his eyes widen at the sight of bushes, leaves, and trees across the landscape. Kobra ghosting through the darkness and perhaps long gone, Robin sighed and headed back to the rest of the team.

"He's gone. Probably had a backup plan set in case something like this happened." Robin spoke, walking back to the team with an irritated look on his face.

"I doubt that crazy pale vampire knew we were going to do something like _this_ to his operations. He never saw it coming." Kid Flash spoke up with a cocky grin, turning to look at the burning Venom factory in front of the group.

"I'm just surprised we finished this without getting ourselves killed," Winter spoke, wincing at another sting of pain from the injury Kobra had inflicted on her chest area. "I was hoping to walk out of this with just minor bruising for a recon mission. Not fatal situations and another mission ending with explosions and more bruising."

"Agreed. I am sure that all of us did not expect _this_ to be the result of our mission." Aqualad added with a hint of uncertainty, his gaze set on the flames of the factory.

"Do you think Batman will be mad about this?" Miss Martian asked, worry evident in her question.

"Mad?" Kid Flash repeated with skepticism. "Why would he? We just ended an entire manufacturing operation of Venom! He'll be glad we helped to slow down the Venom trade."

Raising an eyebrow at the confident words of Kid Flash, Winter stared out at the burning factory the group had made, contemplating the situation the group had been in the entire night. Biting her lip, she turned to look over at Aqualad and Robin, the two also staring out at the burning building.

"So, would you guys call this? The first success or failure as leaders?" Winter asked her fellow co-leaders, walking over to stand next to the two heroes.

Letting out a nervous chuckle, Robin rubbed his nose with a gloved hand. "On a scale of overwhelmed and underwhelmed, I'd say we hit the whelmed mark."

A stern gaze still on the burning building, Aqualad spoke. "It could have been much worse. Nobody was seriously injured and the buy was compromised and ended. We've even found out the identity of the buyer." Turning to face Robin and Winter, the Atlantean nodded in affirmation. "This mission was a success, though with minor bumps on the way."

"So, half-half. I can live with that." Winter answered back, smiling with relief and sighing. Taking a moment to breathe in and relax her still adrenaline high muscles and aching body, Winter frowned a little at a thought crossing her mind. "So, how do we break the news to Batman without making him madder?"

Showing a large grin to both older teens next to him, Robin moved his arms out and wrapped them over Aqualad and Winters' shoulders. Pulling them in close in a semi hug, the boy wonder smirked. "That's not really my problem. Since you two are leader and co-leader, you're automatically the right guys to explain this mess to Batman!"

Watching the younger boy laugh and walk off from the two, Winter couldn't help but glare at the smaller detective in frustration. H was going to leave them with the dirty work!? "Why that little-"

Ready to try and go after Robin, Winter felt a hand rest on her shoulder to stop her. Halting in her movement and putting her foot down, Winter looked behind her shoulder to see Aqualad holding her back.

"Let him go. We chose to be the leaders of this team. That means we take on the responsibilities of both success and failures of this mission." Aqualad explained, turning Winter around to face him. Doing his best despite the situation the two teens would later be in, Aqualads' lips curved to a small smile. "What is that phrase? It comes with the job?"

A tired chuckle escaping her, Winter shrugged and scratched the back of her head. "You're right, as much as I hate to admit it. I asked for this." Looking behind her shoulder to see Kid Flash and Robin discussing their portions of the mission, Winter shook her head. "He's off the hook for now. Besides, he's already Batmans' partner. We might as well save him from an extra lecture."

Sighing a resting her hands on her hips, Winter showed an eager yet uneasy expression to Aqualad, along with a smile. "So, you ready to face the music?"

With no verbal answer as her response, Aqualad's eyes connected with Winters' own. The two leaders staring at each other and communicating with silent eye contact, Winter could tell that she and Aqualad had come to the same conclusion.

Explaining the mission in full to Batman was going to be more painful than any bruise they'd gotten that night.

* * *

 _ **-Mount Justice**_

 _ **July 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **, 9:30 EDT-**_

"Now that you've all received medical attention, I want answers. Now." The deep voice of Batman demanded.

Samantha, her hair still its pure white and eyes light blue as per her usual appearance with the team, the ice user stood next to Robin in the row the team had been made to form once arriving back into Mount Justices' briefing room.

The team had made their way back to Happy Harbor after a long stretch of flying and resting from their wounds. Sadly, the resting would have to be put on hold for the dark knight himself once they'd arrived back at the base. Quickly contacting him after the mission was complete and getting the necessary treatment each member of the team had needed, the young heiress (still in their uniforms) stood side by side with one another to debrief the veteran of their first recon mission.

Well, perhaps it wasn't best to call it a recon mission anymore after what details they had already laid out.

"You've already explained to me your excuses on what needed to be done to finish your mission, but choosing what to say to save your skin will not be tolerated in these circumstances," Batman explained, walking back and forth in front of the group.

Her body still tired from the mission, Samantha still did her best to stay standing without faltering. If anything, the seriousness in Batmans' tone was making Samantha stay awake and alert more than the adrenaline was.

"Before this mission even began, I said to you all that a leader would need to be worked out amongst all of you," Batman began, stopping momentarily to face the group and eye each one of the team members. "Who is the leader of this team?"

"I am," Kaldur spoke up, in his voice as he stepped forward beyond the rest of the group. "though I did not act alone in making decisions for this mission and the teams' efforts."

Eyes narrowed down on Aqualad, Batmans' lips formed a thin line. "Explain."

Taking her step forward, though wincing a bit in pain as she did so, Samantha kept her hands steady on her side and pushed up the best mask of confidence she could in her state. "I assisted Aqualad, Batman. When it came time to choose a leader, we all agreed Kaldur was the best choice after we deliberated on who was best suited out of our candidates. However, after some more talking and cooperation, it was decided amongst the team I would co-lead the team in Aqualad's absence."

"You'll want to count me in too," Robin spoke, taking his step forward with his fellow leaders, who in turn turned their gazes to the younger hero. Eyes staring straight, Robin spoke. "I was named third in command for the team behind Aqualad and Winter. We all agreed that to help optimize the mission success rate, all leaders would help to sort out the plan and name each position and team up the group would be in to stop the buy from going down."

Saying his piece, Robin turned his head ever so slightly to look at Winter and Aqualad. Giving them a playful wink to convey his willingness to help take the blame, the boy just as quickly turned back to stare at his mentor with a mask of determination.

Watching the two detectives in a deadlock of stares, Samantha felt nervousness bubble up inside of her as words formed in the back of her throat. Now that she was a leader, confidence would need to be shown to prove she was capable of making tough decisions. If she didn't try to justify or defend her choices, she'd only make herself look uncertain in the eyes of their veterans.

She had to say something. If nothing else, to at least show Batman they didn't mean for the mission to turn out so crazy.

"Batman," Samantha spoke up, feeling her throat clench on her words as she tried to speak up. "We swear that we did not mean for the mission to conclude the way it did." The ice user spoke, her hands gripping on the frills of her combat skirt.

Breaking away from the eye contact he and Robin shared, Batman turned his gaze to Samantha and walked a few steps toward her. "Really?" He asked, no words faltering or shaking like her own.

Breathing in to help herself steady herself beneath Batmans' gaze, Samantha nodded without a flinch. "No, sir. With our cover blown and Bane forcing us out after betraying us, we had no choice but to stop the buy from going down ourselves. If we didn't, Sportsmaster might have gotten away with a very large supply of Kobra Venom. More damage would have been caused to innocents if more were to have escaped Santa Prisca."

"So you think your ends justified compromising your identities, mission and the lives of your team?" Batman asked.

Her body tensing a bit at the question, Samantha couldn't come up with the words to answer and broke her eyes away from Batmans'. The responsibility that Batman was weighing down on the leaders was hard enough to think about before the mission had even started. Now that everything had been said, done and ended just hours ago, did the decisions and choices made really justify everything the group did?

Would their answer determine whether or not their team would still get missions? If she could even be called a leader?

 _ _I have to answer truthfully. If I don't, what's the point of being a leader if I'm not confident in what I do or what decisions I make?__

 _Alright, Samantha. Time to call upon your speech skills you've honed since you were four._

Finding the strength within herself to raise her eyes back to look at the cowled eyes of Batman, Samantha showed a burning conviction similar to Kaldur and gave a slow nod. "For this mission, I think so. But next time we won't put ourselves or the team in a kind of situation where we might risk our lives frivolously." Feeling like she finished her piece, Samantha stepped back into line with the rest of the team.

"I can promise that as well, Batman," Kaldur spoke, gaining the attention of Batman. "This was our first true mission for the league. While it was not as properly executed as what the Justice League is capable of, we managed to defeat a strongly armed cult, learn the identity of the buyer and end the manufacturing of Venom in Santa Prisca. I would say we've accomplished more than what we set out to do when we left." Kaldur finished, stepping back into line with Superboy, Wally, and M'gann.

Nodding at his fellow leaders' words, Robin took this last moment to stare at his mentor and father figure. Feeling like he should say something, Robin instead opted to stay quiet, the two detectives keeping eye contact before Robin stepped back into line.

"Have you now?" Batman asked, walking away from the team. His back facing the group and the dark knight silent for a good three minutes of what most likely was contemplation, the veteran hero finally turned back around to stare at the younger heroes. Walking towards Aqualad and staring down the Atlantean, Batman spoke up.

"A simple recon mission," Batmans' strong voice boomed through the room. Walking along the line of disappointed looking teens, Batman stared at his protege. "Observe and report."

Heading down to Samantha who stood next to Robin, Batman continued. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes." He spoke, leaving to walk down the rest of the line to stare down Superboy, M'gann, and Wally. "Until then..."

Samantha felt her head drop down a bit, her eyes staring down at her feet. As well as she thought she'd spoken, the ice user could feel something bad was coming their way. The group had botched the mission a little bit and done some crazy things in the span of a couple of hours. If she were him, she'd punish the group, and judge them for what they'd done that night too.

"Good job." Batman finished, his voice uplifting for a moment compared to his deeper reprimanding tone earlier.

Samantha felt her head shoot back up to stare at Batman, the same action being done so by the rest of the team. Sharing looks of confusion and surprise with her fellow team mates, Batman took their silence to speak again.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is how you determine success. And how you choose who leads determines character." Batman concluded, nodding to Kaldur, Winter, and Robin.

Feeling her body lose the weight of uncertainty from her shoulders, the ice user looked over to Kaldur and Robin, the three showing matching smiles of relief and happiness at Batmans' approval.

"For now, you all deserve a break. Your next mission won't be for a while. Use your time to reflect on your actions from this mission and rest both physically and mentally. I will call when I determine a new mission for you all. Until then, dismissed." Batman finished, walking away from the uniformed teens towards a Zeta tube, his form disappearing moments after.

The team still standing side by side with one another in silence, eye contact was the only sign of communication shown between them all.

That was, until a certain someone spoke...or rather, yelled.

"Woohoo!" Wally exclaimed, jumping up into the air with glee. "I can't believe we just got approved by Batman!"

"Guess we did something right," Superboy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You heard him. Batman must have seen the hard work we put into this mission. Plus the great team work we accomplished." M'gann said, placing a hand on her chest as she let out a comforting sigh. "We couldn't have done it without our fearless leaders." The martian added, she and the other members of the team moving their gazes over to Kaldur, Samantha, and Robin.

Scratching his cheek, Robin shrugged and chuckled. "Fearless isn't exactly the word I would use."

"I'd say bruised better fits our description right now," Samantha muttered, wincing a little from her chest wound. "Still, thanks for the support. This was a team effort though, not just ours. We start them together, we end them together.

"Always as a team," Kaldur added, stepping out to turn and face his fellow heroes. "Even with our mishaps on the way to this mission, we ended with success. The new road ahead won't be easy, but we'll be more prepared next time. For now, let us all agree that we've done good work tonight."

Unable to hold in a snort, Wally shook his head at Samantha Kaldur's words. "Leaders of the team and already giving us the motivational speeches? _Cheesy_."

"Dude, don't rain on their parade." Robin hushed the speedster, elbowing his best friend in the ribs.

"Ow. What'd I say?"

Rolling her eyes at the two teens banter, Samantha shook her head. "How about for now we all just get some rest? I'd rather not see someone collapse in the briefing room from over exhaustion. Plus it's just an hour away until past morning. Let's get some sleep, team."

A chorus of tired agreements and a grunt from the team, the teens all gave a relaxed smile and headed down the hall towards the showers, bedrooms, and any other place the teens wanted to collapse and rest.

* * *

Cleaned from a shower and clothed in a simple white nightgown and shorts combo after the group had gone their ways, Samantha sat alone on the couch of the bases' living room, her white hair clinging to her back in a wet mess.

Her thoughts sluggish from getting a moments reprieve, Samantha lazily traced her thumb around the phones' keypad that sat in her hand.

"I need to give him my status report," Samantha muttered to herself as if trying to convince herself to do her task. Closing her eyes and digging deep inside to find the courage to do what needed to be done, Samantha pressed her thumb down on buttons in a familiar sequence before raising the phone in her hand up to her ear, the ringing of the phone trying to connect keeping her company.

One ring...

Two rings...

Three rings...

Yet, the sound of the dial tone couldn't keep her busy for _this_ long. Even if the sound was a comfort compared to the silent living room, waiting this long with the sound ringing in her ear and anticipation was beginning to feel a bit like torture.

However, just as she was about to hang up and retreat to call another day, the sound of the phone on the other line picking up rang in her ears.

Moving to sit up straighter in her seat after routines of doing so in her fathers' office chair, Samantha adjusted herself and clutched the phone tight to her ear to hear every word of the next conversation. Feeling energy rush through her, Samantha spoke up with haste. "Father, I'm back from-"

"I'm sorry, my lady. It's only me."

Her mouth hanging open for a moment, disappointment weighed on her as she closed her mouth and felt her shoulders slump. "Oh, hello Reginald. Is...my father there?"

The young Freya prayed mentally she hadn't sounded disappointed.

If she had, her kind butler didn't make it known to her.

"Unfortunately he's unavailable, my lady. An important meeting with some clients or whatnot called the master out of the home. He did not tell me when he'd be coming back, so I assume he will not be returning for quite a bit of time." Reginald's' voice traveled through the line, a regrettable tone laced in his words. "Did you need to speak with the master?"

Thumb rubbing against the phone, Samantha spoke up. "I wanted to give him my status report. You know, the ones he always asks for after I finish a mission and stuff like that."

"Ah, I see. I thought your father always wanted to hear those in person?" Reginald questioned.

Her head dipping low at Reginalds' inquiry, Samantha felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. Her butler was correct. Call it a paranoia of people listening in on their conversations or the predilections of a business man far too used to his daily activities and important lab data for important eyes only, her father had always asked for her reports on her hero activity to be spoken to him in person in his office.

Everybody had secrets. Her father just happened to have more than the average man.

Especially when their daughter can shoot ice out of their hands and works with people that some equated to gods.

"I," Samantha spoke, trying to find the words she wanted to say. "I know. It's just this time...I was really excited and happy about what happened tonight. I wanted to tell him as soon as possible. So, I decided to call. But if he isn't there, I'll wait until-"

"Nonsense," Reginald answered, making Samantha shift her gaze to the phone as if Reginald was speaking right next to her. "I may not be your father or the person you intended to speak with when you called, but if you are as excited as you say you are, I'd love to hear another one of your accounts of your missions, my lady. You always make them sound so whimsical and powerful. That is if you're alright with me being your audience for another tale."

A small tingle of joy running through her body at the kind words, Samantha was unable to hold in a small laugh. Leaning back onto the couch cushions to relax her tired body, the ice user spoke up. "No, it's okay Reginald. I'll just hold it in until I get home. If I'm going to do my usual report face to face with my father, the least I can do is be with you when we talk. I can tell you about it over some tea when I get back like usual. If that's okay with you?"

"That sounds wonderful as always, young mistress. Will you be returning soon?"

"Not today. I sustained some injuries from the mission, so I'll be resting at the base until I recover a bit more. Won't be more than two to three days at the most. Could you tell my father for me?" Samantha asked, her free hand instinctively rubbing her bruised stomach. Wincing at pain radiating from her own touch, Samantha spoke hopeful. "Umm...but leave out the injury part? Maybe say something about the League needing me for something?"

"Of course. I'll conveniently leave out and add some details for you, but please do rest as much as you can. And give my warmest regards and congratulations to your team mates for a job well done." Reginald concluded, a casual laugh traveling to Samantha's' ear.

"I will. Thank you, Reginald. I'll call when I come back. Goodnight...or good day." Pressing her thumb down on the end call button, Samantha pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.

"That could have gone better," Samantha muttered quietly, laying back on the couch and staring up at the ceiling. Deciding it was best to finally get some well-deserved rest, Samantha closed her eyes and slowly let the silence of the room begin to encroach her.

"Samantha? You're still awake?"

Eyes opening wide and a jolt of surprise running through her to shock her systems awake, Samantha turned her head sideways on the cushion of the couch to face the direction M'gann's voice had come from. Spotting the martian girl dressed in what appeared to be very girly pink pajamas, Samantha greeted her fellow female team mate.

"M'gann. Yeah, I am sort of. I could say the same for you." She said surprised, moving her head to follow the martian walking over to the couch.

Taking a seat next to the ice user, M'gann smiled and nodded in agreement. "I thought so too, but after cleaning myself up and remembering everything we did tonight...or this morning, I couldn't get to sleep. I think my body is still trying to relax after all of those explosions and cave ins we survived."

Adjusting herself to a slouching position on the couch, Samantha grinned at the observation. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. Even with the experience I have doing long missions, my body still can't calm down fast enough." Samantha concluded with a slight pout.

Giggling at the face her friend was making, M'gann pulled her legs close to her chest and hugged them close to her. "I'm sure once Batman gives us more missions, we'll both get used to it."

A groan escaped Samantha's mouth, feeling her muscles ache at the comment. "I'm okay with Batman waiting for a little to give us another mission. I could use a few days to rest."

Watching Samantha slink down into the couch, M'gann lightly face palmed. "Hello, Megan. I shouldn't be trying to rush us into another mission after what we went through. Everyone needs some rest after that battle with Kobra and Sportsmaster. Especially Robin, Kaldur and you. Wouldn't be a good idea if our leaders were too tired to give the orders."

"True," Samantha added. It still felt like a dream to her in the back of her mind. The team had done something amazing that night and helped to accomplish something for the league. Even being praised by Batman for their efforts despite the slip ups and unorthodox methods to get to their goal.

And even now the craziest thing Samantha couldn't believe was that she'd gotten her second wish granted.

She was a leader now. Kind of.

Not the go to leader, but a leader nonetheless. It seemed like every day that was passing her by Samantha was being given more opportunities and responsibilities. More trust from the adults in her life; her own friends and team mates. It was so new to her, yet felt so empowering and exciting.

 _I have to do my best to be a good example for the team. Aqualad said I have a good grasp at gaining the trust of my team mates but learning the ropes of being more confident and authoritative will take some time._

Trust.

Quietly, Samantha's eyes wavered to the martian sitting next to her.

She'd made a promise that night. Due to her own forgetfulness, M'gann had been an accidental audience to Samantha's strange and inner most thoughts about a certain blue-eyed super clone. And with that mistake came the promise to explain herself after the mission was over.

She would have died on the spot if she could have.

Or something less extreme. Freezing herself solid?

But she was getting off track. Or...was she? Would M'gann even want to talk now after all the turmoil and danger they'd just pulled themselves out of? Was it the right time to talk about it? Explain her thoughts to her kind friend and apologize for the even darker ones the martian didn't know about?

Would that ruin her relationship with the martian? Or strain it? Should she hold some things back? To suppress any chance of the conversation ruining their new bonds in galpalsness. If she tried and failed, working on the team together could bring some awkward conversations and potential danger.

Yet, if she didn't tell the truth how could her team mate trust her? It wasn't like M'gann was keeping some huge secret from her.

Samantha groaned, moving a weak arm up to place her hand over her face. A headache beginning to grow from her rapid thoughts, the pale ice rubbed her forehead.

"Samantha? Are you okay?" M'gann asked, looking to the confused ice user. "You're groaning. Is your stomach still hurting from your bruise? I can get some medicine."

Hearing her friends' concern, Samantha shook her head to quell the martians' uncertainty.

She knew what she had to do. It wouldn't make this next conversation any less awkward though. Or confusing.

"No, I'm fine M'gann," Samantha spoke, her voice a bit quiet, but continued to speak otherwise. "Uhh...since we're both sitting here and unable to get to sleep right now, this might just be an opportune time for me as any to explain my actions earlier during the mission." The ice user began, trying to figure out the words she wanted to use. "More specifically in the mines. When you heard some... _accidental_ thoughts of mine. From the mind link?"

Her usual smile disappearing and replaced with a look of confusion, M'gann was silent for a moment, trying to recollect the portion of the mission Samantha was talking about. "Oh!" She gasped, realizing what she'd meant. "I'm sorry about that still, Samantha. I didn't mean to listen to your thoughts-"

"No, it's was mine," Samantha replied, raising her hand up ever so slightly to motion M'gann to stop apologizing. "I should not have been so careless as to let my mind...wander the way it had during the mission. It was silly of me, not to mention stupid since I'm the one who suggested the mind link in the first place. It's my mistake I need to learn from, not yours."

Smiling, M'gann nodded and rocked back on the cushion of the couch. "Alright. I don't hold it against you at all though, Samantha...But, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything." Samantha answered, giving the martian next to her her undivided attention. Before she'd reveal the _other_ thoughts she'd had, she would answer M'gann's question. It was the least she could do.

Silence hung in the air for more than five seconds, the ice user awaiting the question. Watching the martian shift around in her seat, looking a little uncomfortable as the time passed, M'gann finally spoke. Her words came out in a small mumble, but Samantha swore she could hear every word as clear as crystal.

"Do you...like Superboy?"

"I," Samantha tried to answer as she would usually during a normal conversation, but realizing she could only get past the one word, the ice user's mouth closed shut.

That question again.

Could anyone answer that question so easily as M'gann had just asked it?

She didn't know the answer to that and even more she was unsure if any response would be as truthful or correct as she wanted it to be.

Samantha barely knew herself.

Words echoed in her mind, advice from Ice Maiden the day before. The difference between liking and loving someone. How you just...knew that feeling deep inside was real or not. It honestly flew over the young heroine's head when she'd listened the first time, ever so desperately trying to wrap her head around the complexities of love at her young age. To know such a complex yet simple feeling.

She wishes she was able to answer as easily as M'gann had asked.

Seeing the silent confusion on her friends' face, M'gann rose her hands up and shook them to wave away the question. "I-I'm sorry. I'm asking something so personal, right! Hello, Megan. Forget I even ask-"

"No," Samantha spoke up, cutting M'gann off. The two heroines making eye contact, Samantha felt her mouth hang open as if more words would come out after she'd spoken. Her lips pursed together as words tried to form and fumble out, the ice user continued. "I promised I'd answer whatever you asked of me. It'd be rude to take back my word."

Sitting up straight and resting her hands on her lap folded together, Samantha inhaled a deep breath to relax her body which felt like it was collapsing on itself. She never thought she'd be having this conversation again.

Not with another girl her age.

Not so soon.

And this time, she couldn't hide her identity about it.

"I...don't know, to be honest," Samantha answered, feeling like weights had been lifted off her shoulders and back at her answer. "I've never felt something like this before. For someone. I'm...happy to be around him. I enjoy having conversations with Superboy and want what's best for him. The way he looks at me when he's happy is nice and sometimes I glimpse a smile when he's learning about something new. He makes my day so much more fun when they used to be so boring. He's my friend...but," Her voice gave out, again the words lost to her.

"But?" M'gann quietly repeated back, hanging on the word as she awaited her friend to finish her thought.

Ice-blue eyes drifted to her hands, a faint memory reminding Samantha of when she and Superboy had held hands during the mission. That spark that struck her and the warmth she encountered yet again from the contact.

It really did feel like magic. Or something far beyond what she could understand.

Face moving downwards in an attempt to hide the blush creeping up on her face, Samantha did her best to continue. "But...I would not be opposed," Samantha shook her head. "I would be...happy if our friendship was deeper. Deeper than any other relationship he has with anyone. Which is why...I also need to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" M'gann asked, her face falling into a confused expression. "Why?"

"I...thought terribly of you, during the mission," Samantha explained, hoping her next explanation did not completely destroy their friendship. "I noticed the way you looked at Superboy sometimes in the beginning. Your comments too. I thought about how much I hoped you'd stop. Looking at him the way you were, making those...comments about how he looked."

Eyes closing shut in frustration, Samantha gripped tightly to the ends of her pajama shirt. "I...I don't know why I thought of you in such a terrible light. I didn't want to. I asked myself why the thoughts even crossed my mind. I couldn't figure it out. You did nothing wrong after all. There was no reason to be mad. But, I think it may have been _because_ of Superboy."

"I was...jealous," Samantha answered. "I got jealous of you getting close. You looked at him the same way...I did sometimes. And when you talked about how he looked, I just got angry at you. You didn't know or do anything wrong, but I thought terribly of you nonetheless."

Loosening her hands from the cloth in between her fingers and raising her head to look at the uncertain face of M'gann, Samantha bowed her head deeply once again to the girl, a motion she was used to when apologizing to her father.

She never thought she'd be doing the same to a team mate.

If only she'd had more time to talk with Ice Maiden. How did jealousy work? What was she supposed to do if she was jealous of someone else? If it was her own friend?

"That's why I'm apologizing, M'gann. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought terribly of you even when you did nothing wrong. You all talked about how I'd make a great leader because I have your guys' trust. I wanted to keep to that, so I thought it be best to tell you instead of keeping them a secret. So, I understand if you're mad at me. Hate me. Or don't want to talk to me for a while."

Samantha kept her head down to M'gann, her eyes closed shut in quiet anticipation.

"Samantha."

Her eyes closed even tighter, body turning rigid at the martians' voice.

 _Here it comes._

Scooting over to her friend on the couch, M'gann reached her hand out and rested it on the ice users' left shoulder. There was no tight grip, a slip of the hand, or even a slap. It just sat there.

"Samantha, it's okay. I'm not mad."

 _W-What did she say?_

Unsure if she should, Samantha slowly rose her head up to look into the green eyes of her fellow heroine. Concern written on her face rather than the anger Samantha had expected, M'gann showed a small smile. "I accept your apology."

"W-Why?" Samantha couldn't help but ask. The conversation had steered in a direction Samantha was glad for, but her confusion as to how it had gotten there was what made her skeptical. "I mean, I'm not trying to sound rude M'gann. I'm _happy_ you forgive me, but I don't understand why."

Her cheeks lighting up with a hint of red, M'gann pulled her hand away from Samantha's shoulder and leaned back into the couch cushion to get comfortable. "Well, I don't see why I should get so mad at you. Everyone gets jealous, right?"

Eyes widening at the simple question, Samantha moved to sit straight up, eyes widely staring at the martian girl from Mars.

 _How can somebody be so understanding and nice?_

"And," M'gann spoke again. "You did something I'm sure not a lot of people would do. You admitted something that you could have kept secret. It may not have been something major, but you did it regardless because you wanted to be honest with me. I didn't even have to use my telepathy."

For a moment, M'gann's voice trailed off, eyes narrowing down to the ground.

There was something about the way M'gann had looked during that moment. Something that made Samantha feel a bit worrisome. Was there something she wanted to get off her chest too?

"M'gann?" Samantha called.

Her green eyes widening back to realize where she was again, M'gann chuckled and lifted her head back to look at Samantha. "Thank you, Samantha. I forgive you, and I'm glad you told me. I've...never had someone jealous of me before."

M'gann's laughing calling to something deep inside her, Samantha felt her shoulders slump down and feel her once tense muscles unwind. Slowly feeling her quiet voice let out her own chuckle, Samantha's energy came back as the two heroines began to laugh together in the quiet of the living room.

How could these two super powered girls have such a serious conversation and apology, only to end it with laughter and a joke soon after?

"T-Thank you. M'gann. I promise I won't think that way of you again. Unless it's warranted." Samantha answered in between laughs and a joking wink of her eye, resting a hand on her ticklish chest from her laughter.

Smiling and calming her own laughter down, M'gann nodded. "I'll also make sure not to make those comments about Superboy either." Her smile growing a little as her hands rested in her lap, M'gann twiddled her fingers around. "After everything we've talked about, I mean from being jealous of me and how you want to be close to Superboy, it sounds like you really do like him. You may not be sure yourself, but I can tell."

A blush creeping up on her face, Samantha's gaze lowered as she too fiddled with her fingers. "I...I can't say, M'gann."

"But there's nothing wrong with liking someone. It may be a bit weird to feel, but I can tell you really care about him. Robin, Wally, and Kaldur told me about how you all rescued Superboy from Cadmus and how you've been helping him adjust. Why don't you just tell him how you feel? I'm sure he'd be happy to hear it." M'gann asked.

 _W-What?!_

"N-No, I couldn't!" Samantha hastily answered. It wasn't a matter of fear of rejection or the awkwardness of being on the same team if that did occur.

Okay, maybe some of that was it, but it wasn't the entire reason.

"M'gann, I can't do something like that," Samantha answered. "I mean...don't you like Superboy? After the way you looked at him and made _those_ comments about him at Santa Prisca..." The white-haired teen couldn't help but let her voice trail off. Just talking about it was making her feel awkward and nervous.

She barely knew the feelings she was experiencing over a boy, but to have to compete with a guy with her own friend who also liked him? She didn't want something like that.

"If you like him, I won't stop you if you want-"

"No, it's okay," M'gann answered back, cutting Samantha off. The martian blushed too, a nervous smile appearing on her face. "I...have liked him since I met him. Superboy seemed like an interesting person, but I'm not fully sure about my feelings either. I just wanted to know more about him. After hearing you talk about him and the way you feel though, I can't say that my feelings are the same as yours."

Moving a strand of hair behind her ear, M'gann continued on. "I've only known Superboy for a week or two compared to the time you and the others have known him. I can tell you really like him, Samantha, compared to what may just be a crush for me.

So, I'm willing to step back. You were here first after all. I can even help you and Superboy get together."

"M'gann..." Samantha spoke, her voice trailing off.

"Not to mention that my uncle would probably be mad if I was thinking about boys more than doing my superhero work and getting more adjusted to Earth. Hello, Megan. Bad idea." The martian added with a smile and laugh.

"M'gann, I don't think I'm going to get together with Superboy anytime soon." Samantha mustered out, her voice a bit shaky at the simple comment made by the martian.

"What? Why not? Don't you want him to know?" M'gann asked incredulously.

Did she? Would he even understand if she told him her feelings? The feelings she couldn't describe and made her feel weird and squirmy?

No. Samantha Freya had to be realistic.

Superboy was still learning. There's no way she could just confess something as dramatic and powerful as liking or loving someone to someone emotionally hard as Superboy. They didn't help Superboy escape to fall in love. He got out to make his own choices, make his own life of his own free will.

What she wanted, wasn't what he needed.

"I can't. These feelings are still new to me. Superboy has only been out of Cadmus for about nearly a month and even then he's still learning about people, society, and emotions too. If I can barely figure them out, how could I expect him to know how to understand love or even my own feelings?" Samantha answered honestly.

"O-Oh," M'gann spoke, nodding in affirmation. "I...never thought about it like that."

"I'm...happy enough just being his friend and being by his side right now," Samantha answered. "Seeing him happy and helping him learn about the world is enough." She explained, nodding to herself as she finished. "As it should. We're here to be heroes after all."

Nodding in understanding to Samantha, M'gann stretched her body and got up off the couch. "Just don't wait too long, okay? If you do, I might just have to help push you guys together."

"M'gann, I'm fine," Samantha spoke up, her face flushing red.

Chuckling, the martian nodded and walked out of the living room. "Alright. I'm gonna go to sleep. Thanks for telling me all of this."

Watching her leave, Samantha nodded. "Yeah, thanks for listening, M'gann. We're...still friends, right?" She asked uncertainly.

"Of course," M'gann answered cheerfully, waving bye before walking out of the room.

Eyes still stuck to the doorway M'gann had walked out of, Samantha made no movement to get up from her seat as M'gann did. Sitting quietly by her lonesome, the ice user leaned back into the soft couch cushion, feeling herself sink into the softness.

" _ **Love...its is a form of emotion that makes you think of someone else. You want them to be happy rather than yourself."**_

" _ **I can even help you and Superboy get together."**_

Samantha combed her fingers through her white hair and carefully stood up off the couch. Holding in a wince and placing an arm around her waist to cover her bruises, the ice user step by step made her way out of the living room.

 _I promised I would help Superboy make a life for himself. I won't force my feelings on him when he's still learning. Still trying to figure out the things, his family, his place in the world. I'll help him any way I can._

 _Because he's my friend._

* * *

 _ **-Location Unknown**_

 _ **Time Unknown-**_

"All I recovered is a single ampoule of Kobra Venom," Sportsmaster explained from behind his mask, eyes gazing to the row of monitors staring it him from every direction. Holding the metallic vial filled with the powerful steroid in hand, Sportsmaster lifted it up higher for the rest to see.

Lights flickering on to show whited out forms occupying each screen, each person of each monitor stood or looked a different way, even with the light obscuring their true appearance.

Sportsmaster never liked it much, but he'd keep his mouth shut for the sake of the money he'd need. Eight monitors. Eight bosses to have to report his failure to.

" _Peut-etre_. The drug can be reverse engineered. _Mais_ , what of our young heroes? First Cadmus, then Mister Twister. Now, Santa Prisca." One member asked in a mix of English and French.

"They are almost as much of a pain as the real Justice League." One commented.

"Surely they do not plan to get in the way of every operation we are proceeding upon. Even those children cannot be that naive." The third member added.

One member moving in their monitor to adjust themselves, their picture disappeared to show the forms of the team, a screenshot of them from Mister Twisters' camera. "From their activities so far, I'd have to disagree with that. They'll do whatever needs to be done for the senior heroes. If not to prove themselves, to the very least uphold the justice they cling to."

Another spoke. "Once is happenstance. Two is coincidence. But three times is enemy action, and enemies of the Light must not stand.

The voice of the Light's leader booming through the dark conference room, the monitors slowly began to shut off one by one, adding to the darkness of the room.

A final monitor and Light member active, the form turned their attention to Sportsmaster.

"Send the vial in a secure channel to the lab. You'll be given further instruction at a later time."

Just as quickly as the Light member spoke, the monitor flickered off.

* * *

Ugh! Finally done! I'm so sorry again this took so long. With the family stuff going on and moving, it made it really hard to find the time and energy to write this. The last part with Samantha and M'gann was the toughest of them all to write, so I hope it came out well. I've been rewriting this and editing for a while to make the conversation seem fluid and normal, without it seeming rushed or showing strange out of character behavior.

God, I hope it came out well. TAT

Well, I'll try to get out the next chapter as soon as I can. I hope it is shorter than this one. I keep saying I'll write shorter chapters, only to bring out large ones like these after months. I'm such a hypocrite. XP

Please enjoy and review when you can.

Next Chapter: Just Friends


	12. Just Friends

Authors' Note: Let's hope this gets out sometime soon. Hope you all enjoy chapter 12 and it's pretty mellow plot!

Please enjoy reading and review if you can. :3

On with the chapter!

* * *

 _ **-Freya Mansion**_

 _ **July 27** **th** **, Star City 7:15 EDT-**_

"I don't see how this is good news."

Samantha heard the soft squeak of the plush leather seat beneath her as she leaned back, reminding her where she was. It was a compulsion of hers when she heard the inevitable disappointment her father had to make a point of during her status reports.

Or, as he would put it; _A more adult input on the matter._

Her fingers rubbed the soft cotton of her outfit, a white summer dress thrown on to combat the growing heat of July and to ease the pain of any tighter clothes pressing against the bruises that still healed across her abdomen.

Had to thank Kobra again for those.

The hidden social tic was a comfort in these kinds of situations, glad that her father couldn't see her doing it from behind his desk. It helped in some way to ease the tenseness from her fathers' demanding gaze. The brown eyes of a business man scanning her presence for an answer to he'd be willing to accept.

"My position on the team is a much higher rank than even I expected father. It may not be the desired responsibility of complete leadership, but the choice was a group effort." Samantha argued, her own brown keeping the steady eye contact of her father across the mahogany desk that sat between them.

"A democratic group decision. A noble and fair one, but you chose to put the team you were placed on in the hands of another. That's what concerns me." Nikolai continued, hands folding onto the desktop.

"There's nothing to be concerned with. Aqualad is a wonderful leader and a great fighter. The team is in capable hands with him at the helm." Samantha insisted, a hand unconsciously combing through her brown locks that rested on her shoulder.

Her fathers' gaze though, only narrowed more at her words. "And what of your own skills?"

A bit caught off guard, Samantha frowned as her hand froze. "I...what do you mean?"

"You speak adamantly that this new team will be successful with Aqualad leading, yet I have witnessed your skills firsthand. While polish is still necessary, your knowledge and experience should easily list you far above most of your team in terms of station of active leader." Pushing his seat back to stand up from his desk, a tired looking Nikolai Freya stepped away, heading to a window that outlooked the buildings of Star City.

"Do you not believe I have taught you well to protect yourself since you've been born?" Nikolai asked, head never turning as he asked his questions.

"No, I'd never father." Samantha answered.

"Have I in any way hindered your life or given you improper education or poor chances to improve yourself physically or mentally?" The older man asked.

"Of course not. You've given me anything and everything I've ever needed, father." Her voice stopped, a frown appearing on her face and eyes downcast. "Why are you asking me such questions? I don't understand." Samantha admitted, a hint of confusion and frustration fluctuating in her voice.

"I ask because _I_ cannot understand the reason for deciding on being second best, Samantha!" Nikolai stated, his voice raising in tone, body turning to to look at his daughter. "For years you have strived to prove to me your capabilities; to throw yourself into danger by becoming a hero and prance around as a vigilante-"

"And I have! And I am not some beginner vigilante either!" Samantha cut her father off, getting up from her seat as her body was getting caught up in her emotions. "I helped rescue Superboy and reveal Cadmus' true intentions. I've stopped a villain from destroying a town, two more from hurting innocents at the mall, ended a weapons trade in the city, defeated a cult leader and cut off a major supply of a potentially dangerous drugs from being distributed to God knows-"

"SILENCE!"

A loud slam of hands crashing to the desktop to accompany the demand, Samantha's voice clenched shut in her throat and the ice user froze in place, the energy formed moments ago snuffed out and the color in her face disappearing.

"Know your manners, young lady. You never interrupt someone when they are speaking." Nikolai spoke, his rage priming to explode. Holding in his wrath from further damaging his professionally calm image, Nikolai took a deep breath.

As calm as the action looked, the emotion of his demand was palpable. Samantha could swear she still heard the ringing of his voice in the small business office.

"Sit. Down."

"Yes, sir."

Fear radiating through her body and a chill running down her spine at the heavy tone her father displayed, the brunette quickly took her seat without protest.

Eyes watching his daughter, Nikolai combed a hand through the strands of his slicked back hair. "As I was saying before you foolishly interrupted me, you say you are ready for the world ahead, yet you won't even use the lessons I have dedicated to teaching you? Instilled within you for this career you pursue?"

Nikolai took a seat back in his chair, relaxing his body from his tirade. Rubbing his eyes to dull the pain from a slowly building headache, Samantha's father places his hands back on his armrest and stares at the inaudible brunette.

"I have asked you to work on becoming a member of the Justice League since you began your tutelage with Ice Maiden. You took an oath and declared you would do just that to make me proud and bring honor to the family name. If that is the case, why decide to take an inferior position on an already smaller scale? To be the commander of rabble who only look to you when the true leader is absent? Where is the honor in being lesser than what you can become? What you were born to be?"

The teen said nothing, her head dipped downwards to hide her expression.

Frowning at the soundless response, Nikolai sighed. "You may speak, Samantha. And look at me when I'm talking to you. Remember your manners."

"I..." Her voice was quiet, still in shock from the fear she'd felt when her father yelled so loudly. Her body shook to its core, words trying to form in her throat to only fall apart in jumbles and weak gasps.

She said those very things. Her father was right about that. She swore she would make him proud by becoming a hero and training to control her powers. The urge to learn to control them had been great, but the chance to make her father; and by extension her mother proud was an opportunity that Samantha was glad to take.

So why did she choose to be second in command of the team when she had the chance to by the teams' leader?

What could she say? Admit her lack of confidence? Her fear of failing and making the wrong choice?

That would only anger her father, a perfectionist, to the core. His lessons always inscribed a certain level of confidence and etiquette. To uphold a certain manner of professionalism and status, whether as a businessman or a hero.

Be strong physically and mentally. Strive to be the best among the best. Become the symbol and goal others wish to attain.

An elitist. Perfect in every way.

No elite would fear failure for they never failed. The best would not be afraid of their choices because the best never made the wrong choices. Hesitation was never a something to think about.

He'd taught her that long enough for her to understand these lessons. Becoming a rational and calculative person as a result.

But in the end something deep inside her knew better in Santa Prisca. If she'd become leader despite her fears, would the mission have ended with as much success as it had? Aqualad was far more capable under pressure than she ever had been.

She'd made the right choice.

So why did it feel like she was still questioning her own judgment? After all, it she truly was born to be the best, wouldn't the decision to make Aqualad the leader be the right one?

She made the decision, so it was the right one. Right?

"Do you have anything to say?" Nikolai asked again, his voice again rising ever so slightly to get the young teens' attention.

Her fingers gripped her dress tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Slowly, Samantha lifted her head up to look at her father, long dark brown strands framing her heart shaped face.

Anxious eyes stared back into idealistic eyes.

Her father was always so good with words. Able to speak in a way that broke down whatever argument she used against him. Chip away at any semblance of confidence she had and make her question herself. Samantha never had a chance of winning against him.

"I'm sorry I've disappointed you, father."

Once again, an argument with her father ended with her apologizing.

* * *

"I was so stupid. To think I believed he would be happy with what I told him."

The "conversation" long since over between Samantha and her father, the brunette sat in the dining room of the Freya mansion, her small frame hunched over the table. Her body felt heavy even when sitting in her chair at the head of the table, the seriousness of the father/daughter argument still weighing on her body and mind. Tiredly, Samantha buried her face in her hands, trying to recover whatever confidence she'd had before she'd spoken with her father.

"I happen to think you are a very smart woman, young mistress." Reginald responded, the taller old man busying himself with a tray of hot tea and assorted snacks. "Your achievements for this mission and your newfound position as a leader, whether secondary or not, is a commendable one. You should be proud of what you've accomplished. Especially given the progress you have made in just a month."

Brown eyes moved upwards to observe the butler a few steps away. Though strained from crying and aching from the lost moisture, Samantha moved her bleary gaze back to the tabletop. Placing her hands back onto the tabletop, she moved a finger to brush a stray tear from her cheek.

"Thank you. It's…nice of you to say, Reginald."

Pouring tea into a colorfully decorated tea cup, Reginald placed the small beverage in front of the heartbroken ice user along with a tiny plate of colorful tea cakes. "I only speak the truth to you, young mistress."

Smelling the calming scent of earl gray tea from the steam of her drink, Samantha wrapped her fingers neatly around the cup and stared deep into pool of dark liquid in front of her.

Quietly inspecting the simple actions of the brunette, Reginald softly spoke. "Is the tea not to your liking, miss? I thought earl gray would suit best for the situation seeing as it's your favorite. Along with the tea cakes you usually desire."

"What?" Samantha asked, the question nearly floating out one ear to the other. "No, Reginald. Its wonderful as always, along with the sentiment." She answered, hoping the smile she showed would be enough to stave away her butler's worry. "I'm just thinking. About things. They aren't important enough to need your attention, I assure you."

She didn't want to make the kind older man be an audience to her whining again. He did enough around the house. Being her therapist for another year wasn't in his job description or a duty he needed to uphold.

Maybe she should steer the awkwardness to something else?

"Are you…still willing to listen to me? Before, you said that you wanted to hear about how my mission went when I called." Samantha asked hesitantly, index finger tracing the rim of her cup. "I can tell you some details if you're still interested."

A knowing smile shining back at her, the butler nodded.

"Of course. I'd love to hear, as always."

The ice user felt the soft tug of her lips. Reginald was never asked to be her therapist, someone to listen to her emotional problems. Yet when she'd tell him he could leave her be at her worst, he'd still sit with her and listen.

At least there was someone in her family life she could count on, even for a moment.

And so, an amount of time passed unknown to the two residence of the mansions' dining room. Excited recollections of dangerous and heart pounding battles spoken by the adolescent heroine from across the table, the once tired and emotionally exhausted Samantha Freya slowly but surely regained her spark. What color had drained from her face returned after just a few words with her friendly butler and flourished further as she regaled specific moments in greater detail.

The heroes escapade through the dark jungles of Santa Prisca.

Blocking a bullet and saving Kid Flash from a close call.

The unfortunate team up with Bane and his eventual betrayal.

Being named second in command and formulating the plan of attack against the Cult of Kobra and Sportsmaster.

And so much more Samantha couldn't list in her head.

However, she did minimize a number of slip ups she had made during the mission. As well as skimming the minor detail of Kobra kneeing her in the stomach.

Her wounded chest wouldn't let her forget it, though.

"And you should have seen how Robin and I fought against Kobra. We may not have beaten him, but our team work shone greatly during the fight. Thankfully Robin and I practiced our team up attack well enough to execute when we needed it." Samantha said, taking a sip of her cooling tea to moisten her drying throat. "If only father had seen that. Perhaps…he would have been less severe in his reprimanding. Or that's just wishful thinking on my part." Adding the last bit, the brunette held the cup close to her face to take in the calming scent of the tea leaves.

"Your father is a bit complicated mistress," Reginald spoke, taking a spoon of sugar and placing it within his own cup of tea. Stirring it, he continued. "I've known him for many years and from my experience, your father has a way of looking at people and listening to their words. He's learned to train himself to spot when people are either not putting in the effort or are not using the opportunities life hands them to better themselves." Sipping his sweetened tea, the butler met the ice users' gaze.

"However, I also know you just as well, mistress. And I know you to be a very hard working young woman, added by the _special_ responsibilities you have compared to others your age. So despite your fathers' misgivings, I am sure you had a perfectly good reason to accept second in command for your team. It takes great courage to admit your weaknesses to your fellow allies and improve for their sake. And I am sure your mother would agree with me if she was sitting with us now."

Blushing, Samantha shakes her head. "You give me too much credit, Reginald. But, thank you for being on my side for this." Putting some sugar into her own tea and stirring the contents within, Samantha rose the cup back to her lips. "I really have to thank Aqualad and Superboy for their help. If not for Aqualad's words of wisdom and his offer to teach me, I may not have even thought of taking the position."

Eyebrow raised at the comment, a subtle smile appeared on the face of the older butler. "I see. And what about Superboy?"

Her own brow raised curiously, Samantha closed her eyes to try and hide away from her butlers' gaze, trying her best to appear unphased by the question. "What about him?"

"You didn't mention him a moment ago. Do I presume he did a little more than Aqualad to help dissuade your fears?"

Her nerves tensing up in embarrassment at the carefully worded question, Samantha choked a bit on her tea and carefully swallowed it back down the proper pipe. Grabbing a napkin to wipe her face of any lingering liquid, she cleared her throat.

If there was ever a time to not remember some intimate hand holding, it was when one was drinking hot tea.

"I have no idea what you may be insinuating Reginald, but I can assure nothing inappropriate happened with Superboy and I that would make you believe he did more to ease my worries than Aqualad did," Samantha replied with a professional and orderly tone.

 _Yeah. You keep up that lie. Lie through your teeth as best as you can._

His smile growing a bit wider, Reginald added, "Something happened. I can tell."

"And how can you tell exactly?" Samantha goaded confidently, assuming her lie had been perfect.

Samantha could swear she saw a twinkle of mischief in her butlers' eyes. "Your eyes narrow down a bit. Like when a cat is eyeing down its prey or when they are angry."

Shoulders jumping a little in irritation, Samantha felt her lips tug downwards to a frown, along with a pout appearing on her face.

"T-They do not!" The brunette exclaimed, already feeling deja vu from the conversation. Realizing she had been caught in her lie, Samantha placed a hand over her embarrassed face.

 _First Sigrid and now Reginald? Am I really that bad at lying?_

The facial tic was definitely not going to help if she needed to go undercover on a mission, that was for sure.

 _Mental note. Fix terrible lying in front of the mirror when I get the chance._

Samantha sighed to calm her nerves. Getting annoyed wasn't helping her case either, but by now the damage was already done. Reginald knew _something_ had happened. Not any specific type of _something_ , but a _something_ nonetheless.

And at this point, Samantha couldn't just let Reginalds' mind wander to make any assumption.

Better to clear any misconceptions before ill rumors spread, as her father would say.

"He," Samantha started, trying to find the right words to her explanation. "Talked to me. Gave me advice as best as he could. You know how quiet he is Reginald, so I was touched by them. That's all."

"Talked? That is truly all that happened?" Reginald asked, the butlers face showing that he could tell more had gone on.

The ice user held in the urge to groan. Reginald was just like Sigrid. Ready to tease her any moment they had.

"He….mayofheldmyhand. To ease my worries. " Samantha's voice rushed out, grabbing at her cup of tea and taking another drink to save herself from saying any more. Swallowing, the red-faced teen looked pleadingly at her tea buddy. "That's all that happened. There. C-Can we just move on to something else? Please? I don't want father hearing any of this."

"Of course," Reginald answered, chuckling at the loss of composure from the young heiress. "At the very least, I am glad that Superboy is doing better. He was not as sociable as you claim when he first arrived."

 _Oh, good. The subject is changing_.

Her nerves simmering down, Samantha nodded in agreement. "It's not surprising. Everyone is pitching in some way to help him adjust."

She wouldn't call Wally's lounging and lessons on channel surfing the television very important lessons, but if it helped give Superboy some form of entertainment when he was cooped up at the cave, Samantha could admit that anything was useful if used right.

"I'd like to do more for him. He still hasn't had much time out in the world to see how people act, talk, and interact. The team is a good start, but he won't learn anything new with only a few people in the same environment. His learning will become stagnant." Samantha mused, her mind drifting away to ideas.

"Why not just go see him and talk with him more? It seems simple enough to do and I am sure he would enjoy more company." Reginald suggested.

 _If only it was that easy._

"I would if I could, but after his lecture father demanded I stay in the city. He figured out I had some lingering wounds from the mission, so he wants me close at hand so I don't injure myself further. I'm already in enough hot water for talking back. I'd rather not strain our relationship further today."

Yet she'd do her best to make good on her promise. To teach Superboy and show him the world he'd only seen from images implanted in his mind. Samantha made up her mind after the mission in Santa Prisca. Superboy was her friend, and as his friend, she would do anything she could to give him the life the team had promised him. Lingering feelings and other responsibilities aside.

To her surprise, Reginald displayed a mischievous smile. That was…curious. "What? Do you have some sort of scheme hidden away?"

"Nothing of the sort. I was just wondering why not simply bring Superboy to Star City?"

The brunette felt an eyebrow raise at the simple question. Had…Reginald listened to anything she just said?

"I've already explained why. Father will get angry if I leave the city."

"Only if you leave for a long period of time. You'll just be leaving to grab Superboy and be right back here before he even knows." Explaining the loophole to the younger girl, Reginald finished his cup of tea and smiled cheekily. "And it doesn't hurt to have someone with you to be an alibi of sorts. If you tell your father you'll be with Superboy, it'll most likely ease his uncertainty and allow you a bit more freedom without him calling you for your whereabouts every five minutes."

The two denizens quietly looking at one another in silent observation, Samantha ended the stare off. Throwing a small tea cake into her mouth and swallowing the delectable sweet, the brunette grinned while holding in the urge to laugh out loud and get her fathers' attention.

"Reginald, you're underhanded and evil. I love it."

The butler chuckled too, placing his empty tea cup on his saucer plate. Playfully, he answered back.

"You have no idea, mistress."

* * *

"You'll keep him busy for me?"

Neatly keeping her long hair in place behind her ears and wrapping her white purse strap over her shoulder, Samantha turned her head back to look at her fellow partner in crime watching her from the limousine. The mansions' dark and exquisite decor replaced by the civilian graffiti and brick walls of Star City the two hid

Their plan had been made and set. Samantha would head off to grab Superboy and take him out on a redo of their trip in Star City that had been ruined before while Reginald distracted her father long enough for her to get back before he tried to find her.

"You have nothing to worry about, my lady. Your father will be busy with some research in his study for a time. By the time he asks for you, you'll most likely already be out on the town." The gray-haired butler answered confidently.

It was simple on paper, but if anything part was misplaced…

 _This is starting to feel like a recon mission._

"I'll text you when Superboy and I get into the city than." Thankful for the help, Samantha gestured a grateful smile to her butler. "Thank you again, Reginald. You don't have to do anything to help me, but you still do it even when I don't ask."

Shaking his head knowingly, Reginald smiled back. "It's my pleasure to help you, miss Freya. I've been in service to your father ever since you were born and have watched you grow. I only want what's best for you, as does your father. Our positions on the matter may differ, but I know that you going out to enjoy yourself will do far better wonders for you than being cooped up at the mansion. Please do call if you need anything."

Bowing politely to Samantha, Reginald headed back into the plush car, waving goodbye before driving off from the hidden zeta tube point.

Waving back and watching the limousine drive off into the distance, Samantha let her hands fall to her sides and headed into the zeta teleporter. Moving her finger to place her finger on the security pad, Samantha stopped herself.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She muttered, snapping her fingers. Activating like a light switch flicked on, Samantha's long brown locks were bleached out from the roots and downwards in pure white, the color washing away any hint of her original appearance. The familiar chill of her ice powers rolling through her body, the ice user sighed out a breath, chill fog escaping her lips while she pulled out a small compact from her purse.

Opening it to inspect herself to be sure her hair and eyes had completely changed, Samantha clicked her mirror shut and placed it back in her bag, reaching out to the security pad and awaiting the security to identify her.

 _Good thing it's getting easier to switch between them._

" **Recognized. Winter, B04."**

Eyes closing shut to shield her retina from the bright light of the transportation, Samantha took short but quick steps forward, her brown strap sandals making little to no noise. Knowing she was at her destination, she stepped out into the base's briefing room, the temperature around her dropping a few degrees in no small part to her powers.

"Wow. Who turned up the AC?"

Head turning towards an all too recognizable voice, Samantha rolled her eyes at Wally who'd appeared beside her out of nowhere in his usual "blink of an eye" fashion. "Haha. I'd say that was very clever of you Wally, but then I'd have to acknowledge that your mind is just as quick as your mouth, which it isn't." She spoke, her head turned ever so slightly to smirk pridefully at Wally.

"Haha to you too." Wally retorted. Green eyes hastily inspecting the white-haired maiden, the red-headed speedster whistled. "Someone looks dressed up today. Are you going out somewhere?"

"A dress doesn't mean a girl is trying to be fancy." Samantha explained, shaking her head at the idea of explaining fashion to the speedster. "But if you must know, I'm planning to go out into Star City to unwind from our mission. Getting nearly shot in the head three times calls for some r&r."

Hearing mention of getting shot, Wally frowned and nervously rubbed his neck. "Hey, I said I was sorry about that."

Unimpressed, Samantha stared at Wally as he attempted to clear himself. "I'll accept the apology once I see some improvement. Such as learning to take some things slowly." She finished, placing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Is everyone else here today?"

"Nope! Just us!" Robin joined in, his voice reverberating through the large rooms of the base as he stepped in alongside Superboy. The Boy Wonder was dressed in a black blue t-shirt and dark jeans and added sunglasses, while Superboy went with his usual shirt, jeans, and boots combo.

"Really? Where are M'gann and Kaldur? They're not here?" Samantha asked, curious for her other friends' absence.

"M'gann said she was seeing her uncle." Superboy muttered with a shrug, looking disinterested with the update he spoke.

"And our leader had to go with Aquaman to Atlantis. Something about helping him better his fighting techniques for some future missions." Robin added, jumping in to add some enthusiasm to the conversation. "You need us for something?"

"Well…no, not particularly. Or at least, not everyone." Samantha muttered, frowning a little at the mention of some of the team being gone. Now that she thought about it, was her plan a little selfish? Only asking Superboy to come with and explore the city did sound like an insult to the others. Or that she was giving special treatment to him. She'd need to be objective as a leader.

 _Maybe it's time to abort this mission before something falls apart._

"Hmmm…That's sounding pretty suspicious." Wally said, leaning in close to Samantha while placing a hand on his chin in thought.

Not enjoying the close proximity, Samantha pushed Wally's face away from hers. "I'm not being suspicious. And why don't you remember personal space?" Wiping her hand of any potential germs, Samantha looked back at her male team mates.

Wally was a nosy person at heart and Robin was a detective through and through. If she didn't want them butting into her business or bugging her about what she was talking about, she'd either have to leave now or reveal what it was she was talking about.

Well, she wasn't going to leave after just getting there.

"If you must know," Samantha began, looking at Wally, "and as I said before when you first asked," Samantha continued, moving her gaze to look at everyone. "I was planning to go into Star City and relax after the mission we had, but since Superboy was probably stuck here again I thought it be more appealing to bring him along than going alone. He could learn more about society, experience events Cadmus only taught him, and interact with other people besides us while he's out there."

Her brain reminding her of the mission a few days ago, Samantha chuckled. "I also owe him a shirt since one get ripped up during the mission."

At this point Samantha knew her attention was drifting to the boy in question. Eyes settling on the taller figure of Superboy, he made no movement or facial expression to indicate he was surprised by her words. It was just his usually stern face staring back at her, although it was lacking any of the animosity or anger it tended to have.

"As long as Superboy is okay with it, of course. We don't have to go." Samantha made sure to mention, eyes drifting away from the super teen.

"However, since we are a team it may be more beneficial if we all go together. We haven't all had much time to spend together outside of missions. Which in there lies the problem." Samantha concluded. "I'd rather not leave M'gann and Kaldur out of any fun."

How would this fare when the rest of the team wasn't around to join?

"Welp, you don't have to worry much about that. As fun as walking around a big city for hours sounds, there's a mecha cartoon marathon and soft seat for my butt already needing my attention." Wally answered, shrugging his shoulders and turning to walk away from the group.

Shaking his head at the speedsters' answer, Robin smiled and shot a dorky finger gun at Samantha. "And unlike sir lays a lot, I've got an appointment to tune up my utility belt. Don't worry about it too much, Sam. We can all get together and do something when we're all here and free."

Or….maybe it would work itself out.

"Oh, okay." Samantha spoke, a little disappointed at the answers from her team. Her idea was a bit hasty, but at least this meant she had more time to actually plan something when the team was together. "Well, I guess it's just you and me again, Superboy." She said, looking at the bored super human.

Waving goodbye to his friends, Robin stuck his tongue out playfully at the snowy haired girl. "You guys have fun doing _whatever_ it is you're doing." The boy wonder said, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner before sticking a finger close to his mouth, his voice mimicking a gagging noise.

"Wha? Sammy and Supey? Seriously?" Wally's voice echoed through the hall, adding to Robin's comment with hints of exaggerations laced in his words.

Obviously, he was trying to get on her nerves.

She was sad to admit it worked.

The gestures painting a pretty clear picture for what the younger tween was suggesting and finding her impatience growing at added gossip from Wally, Samantha yelled out to the retreating boys. "We're just going into the city. For learning purposes! Nothing else!"

A stuttered answer echoing on the walls of the cave, Samantha only heard the combined laughs of Wally and Robin answer her.

Both boys gone from her sight, Samantha groaned quietly, placing a hand on her forehead for a small chance of comfort against her swelling embarrassment.

 _Relax. Those two are just messing with you. It's nothing they haven't done before._

"Honestly, those two sometimes." Samantha muttered.

"Are we going?"

Superboys' voice cutting through her moment of discomfort, Samantha whirled around to look over to a confused super clone.

Right. He was still there.

"Sorry. Yeah, we'll get going. I mean, if you still want to." The ice user sputtered out, not really sure what was going on anymore. From her suggestion being given, getting shot down, and the tease from Robin and mutual silence from Superboy, was her plan still in motion at this point?

"I got nothing else to do." Superboy responded blandly, adding a shrug to show he had nothing left to say.

That was…probably going to be the best answer she'd get out of him.

"A-Alright, than." Samantha responded a bit hesitantly, swinging her arm in a joyful motion. "To Star City for some fun filled learning."

 _I hope this turns out better than last time._

* * *

 _ **-Star City Streets-**_

 _ **July 27** **th** **, Star City 8:30 EDT-**_

"So, Cadmus taught you with those strange Genome creatures right?" Samantha asked, she along with Superboy walking side by side down a quiet sidewalk in Star City, finishing her text to Reginald and sending it.

It was an early morning, but the city was already bustling with people of various places and appearances. Businessmen with briefcases in hand walked with a cellphone glued to their ears, school kids chased one another down a grassy path towards the school bus stops, and others in none of the above categories either sat at cafe's talking with friends or enjoying the early day weather before it grew hotter.

If only Samantha could go back to using her powers. At least she wouldn't cook in the upcoming heat. Sunburn was murder on her light toned skin.

"Mmhmm." Superboy muttered, making no real effort to verbally speak. His eyes moving to objects and people one after another, the clone was more focused on observing all the things that went on around him.

The noises were so loud.

Not one person was doing the same thing as anyone else.

"This isn't too much for you, is it Superboy?" Samantha spoke up, moving her head over to look into Superboys' blue eyes. Noticing his gaze elsewhere, she said, "If you ever need a break, just tell me and we can stop."

Eyes stopping on a building a few feet away, Superboy looked back to Samantha who stared back at him. "I'm fine. There's…just a lot going on."

Nodding to show she understood, Samantha stared out at the sidewalks and streets of Star City. "It is a little bit tough to take in if you aren't used to it." Shrugging a shoulder, the brunette smiled to the shellshocked teen. "But that's why we're here, right? To help you get used to this kind of stuff and know what to do in a given situation."

Motioning for Superboy to follow alongside her, Samantha went to the closest important spot the two would need to visit, and stopped a few steps away from the building entrance. Looking up at the large building, Samantha pointed to it. "We'll start our lesson here. Did Cadmus deem it necessary to know what a bank is?" Samantha asked playfully.

Eyes gazing up at the same building, Superboy nodded. "A bank is a financial establishment that invests deposited money by customers, pays out when required, makes loans, and exchanges currency." Superboy concluded, his voice not showing any sign emotion or inflections.

Uncertain on how to answer the sudden reciting by Superboy, Samantha let out a dry laugh. "Y-Yeah. That's…right." Placing a hand on her hip, Samantha continued with the lesson. "Alright, you know how the bank works. Do you know how to do any of the things you just listed?"

"I…" Superboy tried to answer, but just as he spoke a single word he closed his mouth, eyes narrowing down and lost in thought.

While the unanswered question seemed to plague Superboy from the way his face fell, Samantha's thoughts on the silence were far different from what Superboy had to be thinking.

 _I was right. Cadmus may have stuffed Superboy with all the knowledge in the world, but without actually knowing how to do any of it with his own mind and hands, it's useless._

"Hey," Samantha said, placing a hand on Superboy's shoulder. "Don't worry. You're not in trouble for not knowing. It's not your fault you don't know how to do this kind of stuff. This is a learning experience, so you can learn today." Taking her hand away, Samantha pointed a thumb towards the bank entrance. "I can't show you everything you listed, but if you want you can come in with me and I can show you how to withdraw money from the bank. I need to get some cash for our day out anyways."

Staring in the direction Samantha pointed to, Superboy stayed quiet for a good thirty seconds, only to give his usual shrug to her. "I guess."

Giving her own shrug to his answer, Samantha walked with Superboy into the bank, the two a bit out of place in the large building that was filled mostly by adults. Plush red chairs and couches were scattered across the room, desks placed to the side for questions and paperwork, and neatly dressed men and women talking with various different people about their specials on cards and offers for credit. Far to the left in the back stood a large row of booths covered by what looked like a thick layer of glass to the untrained eye.

The only thing that helped to stand in the way of criminals getting their hands on large sums of money; and the one thing that could save a banker from danger in a tense situation.

Superboy silently following behind her, Samantha headed towards the bankers' line to await her turn.

"What do you think of a bank at first glance? It's not too boring?" Samantha asked curiously, turning around to watch Superboy stare at the bankers, furniture, carpet, and anything else his eyes could spot.

"Do banks usually have so many cameras?" Superboy questioned.

"Hm? I'd hoped they did. I don't count them every time I go into one." Samantha admitted, following Superboys' gaze to a camera in the corner of the ceiling. "You said it yourself. Banks hold the money given to them by customers. It makes them the predictable targets for villains or lower time criminals looking to make some easy money. The cameras are needed to spot them for the police to investigate."

"I thought that was what the Justice League was for. To stop all the villains from doing whatever they wanted." Superboy commented, sounding as if he was having trouble understand something.

Feeling like he wasn't getting the entire picture, Samantha shook her head to signal Superboy's mistake. "That may be true in hindsight of what you may already know, but just because we or any other hero has powers or abilities better than the average person, doesn't make us the only line of defense."

Humming a bit to herself to focus her brain on finding the right words, Samantha spoke up. "I mean, it's not wrong to want to be the first ones to the scene of danger if we have the powers to stop a criminal faster than anyone else, but that doesn't mean we should forget about the normal men and women who risk their lives.

We may be strong, but not even a hero can get to every crime. The police do as much hard work as the League does, so they should be given the same respect. Working together is far more productive than working separately and individually, so there's no reason we should be in competition with one another." Samantha asked, looking back to Superboy.

His face still showing the reluctant expression from before, Superboy's eyes gazed back to the inquisitive brunette's. "That…makes sense."

Her thoughts on the matter concluded and feeling like she'd answered Superboy the best she could, Samantha noticed a banker on the far end of the row of bankers wave her over.

"C'mon. It's our turn." Beckoning the dark-haired teen to follow, the two headed towards the banker in question for their necessary transaction.

Removing her bag from her shoulder, Samantha pulled out a rectangular blue wallet with white snowflakes printed on the leather and took out a red debit card, handing it to the female banker. "Good morning. I'd like to make a withdrawal, please. Eighty dollars all in twenties."

"May I see a form of identification?" The banker asked.

"Of course. Here you are." Handing the cashier her identification card, the woman walked off to check her records.

"What'd you hand her?" Superboy asked leaning in to watch the Banker, most likely curiosity getting to him.

"The first card was a debit card. If you have the bank hold your money you can open an account and get a card like I gave her to allow you to use it. It's just an easier way to carry your money around with having a stack of bills with you. But you should really only use it if necessary." Samantha explained plainly.

"The other card was my identification card. It tells people who I am, my address, what I look like and some other minor things. It's sort of there if there's an emergency and people need to identify me or if I want to withdraw money from my card. Only the person who's named on the account can use the debit card, so having your identification helps to be sure nobody steals your money."

"Here you are, miss Freya. Please have a good day." The banker greeted, walking back and handing back the precious plastic.

"Thank you. You too." Samantha spoke back with a kind smile. Taking her things and placing them in their rightful pockets, Samantha along with Superboy headed out of the bank, the two enveloped in the warmth of the July heat once again.

"Do I need to get one?" Superboy asked, the question gaining Samantha's' attention,

"A what?" Samantha asked, fumbling with her wallet to make sure everything was in order.

"A debit card, or one of those identification things." Superboy asked.

Clasping her wallet shut, Samantha hummed in thought. Superboy would eventually need to get necessities like those handled, but how was that supposed to go? He may have been grown for only sixteen weeks, but all in all, he looked like a teenager her own age. Important issues like those were handled by the parents.

 _What does he do if Superman won't even see him? He can't do much without some of those things_. _Unless they expect him to just stay in the cave to give him food and a place to sleep._

She hadn't thought that far ahead in terms of helping Superboy adjust. She was knowledgeable, but not well taught enough for important things like these. Someone a bit older and more experience would be better suited.

Like Ic Maidene? Or Batman? Maybe even Green Arrow if he was available? It sounded so weird to think of asking any of them of them, but if it needed to be taken care of for Superboy's sake…

"I don't know, but we'll surely have something figured out when that time comes." Samantha answered honestly, a smile appearing on her face to hide her uncertainty. "There's still a bit more I want to show you. I promise it won't be as boring as what we just did."

"As long as it isn't shoe shopping like that one time." The super powered teen muttered.

 _Aw, he made a joke._

"I promise it isn't."

The heroes taking on the next set of pavement towards their new destination, Samantha made it a good idea to point out small things on the way. Adding detail to things such as people walking their dogs, the idea of transportation and shops open for selling specific goods, Samantha hummed a light tune of satisfaction at the arrival of their next location.

Halting next to the petite brunette and placing his hands in his pockets, Superboy moved his head up to stare at the brick building in front of him, along with a fenced basketball court area a few feet away and a flagpole. "What's this place?"

"The city's local high school. Star City High to be exact." Samantha spoke, eyes scanning the building. "It's where people our age go to learn about the next level of mathematics, science, history, English, and other various subjects in their education level." The brunette scratched her cheek. "As well as learn how to interact with others. However, that's all I really know. My knowledge of this place is a bit lacking since I was homeschooled."

Ah, Public school. Her only knowledge of it had been from silly TV dramas and cartoons every now and then. It looked stressful at some points, but other times it looked interesting enough to keep her attention.

Going to classes to learn. Participating in extracurricular activities that wasn't just singing. A chance to get away from other responsibilities and just focus on herself and find her own way.

Going was out of the question, sadly. Her father wouldn't allow it, saying she was too good for them since she was little. For someone like her, a higher education and quiet environment away from distractions were the best options to nurture her talents.

 _Making friends with people my age isn't a distraction. Or was that some excuse he made so he could keep an eye on me? Even for father, being that overprotective won't help me much._

"But I hear it is a wonderful institution of learning." Samantha finished hastily, realizing she'd been quiet longer than she intended. Brown eyes stared at Superboy. "Have you thought about going?"

"To school?" Superboy asked incredulously. "Why?"

"Why? Why wouldn't you want to?" Samantha asked back. That was an odd response to reply with. Why wouldn't someone want to go to school? Learning was so much fun! Getting to know facts you never heard, touch up on moments in history that shaped their society to this day, becoming more acquainted with cultures that were a part of your family and heritage.

The continued unenthusiastic face of Superboy was a stark contrast to what she thought on the subject.

… _.Okay, Samantha calm down. Not everyone is you and likes to learn._

"You'll get to meet so many other people your age. Or, not your technical age, but your physical age. Sixteen." Samantha explained, brown eyes drifting away to stare at the high school. "It's a great chance to go and absorb facts about new forms of knowledge and people in the same place at the same time. Brushing up on cultures you may want to see in the future. Making friends with people who in turn can teach you new things every day. Your hitting two birds with one stone by going." The ice user described, punching her hand lightly into her opposing fist for effect.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Superboy understood the metaphor from the way he just stared at her, puzzled by her words.

"Why would we want to hit birds with stones?" Superboy asked.

Frowning, Samantha stared at her fellow team mate, not sure if she'd heard him right. Realizing she had, the brunette pulled her fist away from her hand and let her arms fall at her sides.

"W-We won't. And don't. It's a figure of speech." She muttered, feeling a bit bad she was making Superboy's learning experience tougher to understand. Was the punching into her hand what threw him off?

 _I'll have to ask Wally and Robin to teach Superboy what sarcasm and metaphors are next time I see them._

"We're not going to throw rocks at birds. Just forget it, Superboy." Scratching her head in thought, Samantha walked down the sidewalk, turning her head back to Superboy. "Let's move on. The school isn't open to the public right now and we can't see much more from this point. I'll explain more about it on our walk."

Seeing the bored expression of Superboy unchanged, the clone followed after Samantha and the two walked side by side down the calm school district.

Noticing the sour expression on Superboy's face, Samantha too felt her lips fall down in concern. Was her little trip boring the clone that much? Or was he just acting his usual disinterested self?

 _He seems…so bored with this._

If it was the former then she was doing a pretty bad job. And if it was the latter she was doing an even _worse_ job.

 _The whole reason I did this was to show Superboy people, places and things he's only seen in his head, maybe even make up for the fiasco back at the mall a few weeks ago. None of it seems to be out like I thought._

Was it…her?

If it was her, Superboy would have declined her invitation back at the cave and he would have been very clear about it. So it wasn't her.

Was it the places they were going?

 _We've been to a bank and a high school. Not bad places to start a learning experience on adapting to his role as a teenager…but they are kind of boring._

Samantha shook her head, frustration getting to her.

 _Superboy's sort of like a kid. Nobody enjoys just learning about things. He needs to find things and experience events that he'll enjoy and catch his interest rather than what I think will._

She had been taking him to some pretty boring places for the sake of learning. Perhaps she should look at this trip in a different angle? Less learning and more fun?

"Superboy," Samantha spoke, the clone turning to look at the brunette next to him. "Why don't we go somewhere you want to go next?"

"Aren't I supposed to be following you?" Superboy responded, confused by the sudden shift in direction.

Samantha's expression was mixed. Did he think he was meant to just follow her every word? Man, she really was doing this the wrong way.

"That was true at the start, but this whole day is to dedicate seeing people and experiencing things that _you_ want to see. If I end up dragging you around everywhere I think you have to look at and learn about, I'll be making the same mistakes as Cadmus did. And there's no way I'm letting that happen." The brunette answered confidently.

"But I don't know where to go." The clone answered back, uncertainty evident in his voice and on his face.

Smiling, she nudged Superboy with her elbow to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun. Not knowing is part of the adventure. This is your trip. I'll follow you."

Head lowering to look at the ground and his gaze narrowing in deep thought, Superboy raised his head back to look back at Samantha, saying nothing but communicated with a nod.

"Okay, but don't get mad if we get lost."

She nodded back joyfully.

"I'll make sure we don't."

* * *

The plan was working. The plan was working!

The brunette couldn't' help but be a little proud of herself for giving the reigns over to Superboy for their next stop. The idea of dragging him around did not appeal to her, so to let Superboy get to choose the next place was both a comfort for her and a surprise in of itself.

He'd been so cautious about where to go when the two walked through the streets. Every now and then Superboy would stop to look at a store or restaurant, only to walk ahead moments after. Whether it was out of fear or uncertainty, their traveling had taken up about half and hour until Superboy finally stopped somewhere he thought was a good place to look at.

To think the first place he'd stop was a music store.

"Is there anything you like so far?" Samantha asked, standing next to Superboy who listened to some songs thanks to a pair of sample headphones.

Superboy replied with his usual "Superboy Shrug" as Samantha called it, taking the headphones off and putting them back on the rack. Holding a CD in hand, his eyes gazed over the artwork and title. "I kind of like this one. It had that instrument you told me about. Electric guitar."

"Ooh, let me see." Moving closer to take a look at the CD, Samantha smiled at the art cover. "Ah, it's a rock genre CD. That's a good one."

"You know what it is?" The clone asked.

"A bit, but only from what Wally or Robin mention. Rock music isn't really my forte." Samantha answered, shaking her head and looked out at the quaint music store.

While it was a bit small, the selection of music was large enough for the average groups of kids and music fans alike to get lost in. Shelves of CDs neatly stacked by the walls for onlookers to take a peek in, posters of various artists across the world were plastered on the walls. Even some instruments for sale and play in the corner.

Speaking of instruments…

"Oh, they have a piano here!" The brunette exclaimed, energy bubbling within her chest at spotting the larger tool from where she stood.

"A what?" Superboy asked.

"Another instrument. One I like very much. It's fantastic. I'll show you." Leading Superboy to the instrument in question, Samantha walked over to an ebony black grand piano in the far corner of the store. Untouched and shining reflective rays thanks to the bits of sunlight peaking through the windows, Samantha pulled out the matching black piano bench and took a seat.

Moving her smaller fingers to open the cover of the piano, the brunette smiled at the sight of pristine ivory white keys.

"What does it do?" Superboy asked, standing next to the piano seat and staring at the many keys of the piano Samantha touched.

"It plays music for one, but to be more specific a piano plays notes similarly to a guitar. They follow a familiar set of notes and chords, but instead of strings, a piano player presses keys that are arranged in a scale from lowest to highest." Samantha carefully explained, laying out the details as smoothly as possible for Superboy to understand, pointing to parts of the instrument as she spoke.

Nodding to show he understood, Superboy pointed to the piano keys. "Do you know how to use it?"

"Yeah. I have one at my house, but I don't get to play it much anymore. With my lessons and my hero career taking up more of my time, I lost the chance to go back to it." Samantha muttered sadly, frowning at remembering her abandonment of the instrument.

"Here, just listen. It's not the screeching of guitar rifts, but it has its own unique sound." Moving her fingertips across the many keys to get a feel for the large instrument, Samantha took a deep breath finally let her fingers stop on a few keys and carefully pressed down on them, causing loud yet pleasant sounds to reverberate through the air of the music shop.

The sound ringing in her ears drums, the brunette felt a chill run down her spine. It was pleasant, her muscles coiling in pleasure and the pain from the bruises on her chest momentarily disappearing.

The tones she pressed were weak and small, just hitting the lowest note to show what the instrument was capable of. Brown eyes looking at Superboy in the corner, she smiled a bit at seeing him actually paying attention, only to turn her attention back to her playing.

Moving on from giving an example of the sounds the keys made, Samantha slowly drifted her fingers along the keys and began to press some in slow but calm succession, the sounds mixing together to craft into a song.

It was a slow, yet comforting song. A ballad in tone, mixing with quiet notes and growing larger and larger with each keystroke to describe the song becoming powerful, soon enough falling in notes to become quiet again.

It felt as if she was singing with her voice the way she heard the notes raise and fall with every once of effort she exuded.

Fingers tapping on the ivory keys a bit longer to let the song flow to its end, Samantha smiled at the sounds still ringing around her despite her fingers already freezing to a halt. A breath of shaky content sighed out from her lips, Samantha let her hands calmly slide off the keys and fall onto her lap.

Looking up from her lap, Samantha chuckled to herself, realizing she'd forgotten where she was. To get so distracted and forget where she was so soon; she must have been tired. And to make the song she meant to be only a few seconds run on for what felt like five minutes, perhaps even longer.

Had Superboy gotten bored with her example? It had been so quiet. Surely, he had left to go do something else.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for that to go on for so long, I got a bit sidetrack-" Realizing she had gotten a bit lost in the music, Samantha turned her head, anticipating the sight of herself apologizing to nothing but air next to her.

Only to freeze in place at seeing Superboy still next to her, eyes staring right at her.

Not at something behind her or in front of her. Not even the piano. Superboys' eyes seemed to be focused right on her, his blue eyes diving right into her brown.

She was a bit shocked at first, surprised that the clone hadn't just run off to go do something he wanted. It was comforting, however also surprising to Samantha. Yet after the shock wore off, the brunette felt a weight fall on her shoulders at the super powered teens gaze. She couldn't shake it off even if she wanted to.

Like he was putting her under some sort of spell.

"I-Is something wrong, Superboy?" Samantha asked in a hushed whisper, not sure whether her voice was quiet to hide Superboys' identity or if was because she was so absorbed in the boys' gaze. Her lips could barely move to form a word.

Seeming like her hushed voice had caught even his attention, the clone blinked; eyes refocusing for a moment. The eye contact broken, Superboy shrugged and turned his head to the side, looking away from Samantha.

Although a routine reaction of his, it felt…different. The shrug looked tenser than how it usually seemed. A rushed motion as if trying to hide something. But what would there be to hide from her?

"That was…good."

Was he embarrassed?

"Oh," Samantha spoke, she too popping out of her stupor. "T-Thank you. The piano did all the work, really." She mustered out, trying to make a joke to break the tension that as between them.

What was going on with her? She was no better than Superboy at the moment.

Fingers unconsciously rubbing the piano keys. "How do you like it? The…piano, I mean." She uttered, correcting herself at the last second.

Eyes moving back to look at Samantha who sat in the piano chair, Superboys' mind recalled the sound of the piano keys she pressed so effortlessly into a song. The way she looked so focused and calm when she sat there, ignoring the world and everything around her to just play something for him.

His face straight and showing no hint of confusion or uncertainty, Superboy spoke out with what Samantha could only guess was truthfulness.

"I think I like it. The piano."

Samantha had to turn her face away after that. She couldn't let Superboy see her face. How much it had to be bursting with red.

"Right. The piano."

* * *

 _Friends. Your just friends. Prolonged eye contact means nothing!_

Leaning on a wall of a quaint clothing department, Samantha casually awaited Superboy to finish putting on a shirt she'd promised to grab him on their next stop. Given that one of Superboy's died a heroic sacrifice protecting her from a hailstorm of bullets, it was the least she could do.

This time she wanted to get him something a little more colorful for his wardrobe, at least to help clash with his dark copies of shirts, but sadly her persuading had not worked out all that well. Willing to compromise in the end, Superboy had agreed to get a different colored shirt, however Samantha's compromise had to let Superboy pick the shirt himself.

Which in turn lead to him now trying on another Superman insignia shirt, only this time it was a blue "S" rather than red.

 _At least it's a different color._

Alone with only her thoughts to keep her company, Samantha felt her thoughts wander away to the teens' time walking around the city.

So far she was happy to see Superboy was having a good time. A little disappointed in herself for making this trip less fun at the start though. That could have gone far better.

Thank goodness she'd realized her mistake before she'd made the trip an even more boring experience.

So why did she feel…sick?

No, maybe sick wasn't the word she wanted to use. She felt nervous and tense, that squishy feeling she would feel around Superboy having crept up on her during their time in the music store.

She didn't despise the feeling, but after her newfound viewpoint on the situation of her companion, having it come back to her made her feel…guilty. She felt weak, vulnerable even. Like she'd been stripped down of her clothes and powers.

Her conviction over the declaration she made had been so strong days ago and it sounded so easy when she said it to M'gann in the caves living room. There should not have been any problem.

" _ **I'm…happy enough just being his friend and being by his side right now. Seeing him happy and helping him learn about the world is enough for me."**_

Words echoing inside the walls of her mind, Samantha shook her head. "As it should," she muttered. Nevertheless, she bit her lip; uncertain.

 _We're here to be heroes after all._

She believed them. Taking the practical approach with Superboy was more beneficial to him than what she wanted. What she wanted shouldn't even have been a part of the decision.

Standing around and thinking about it though wouldn't change the situation any faster than she wanted it to. No matter how many times she ran the reason through her head and made excuses for what was right or wrong in her eyes.

 _I never expected to ignore something like love…like…whatever this feeling is, to hurt so much. I thought it would be easy to just forget about it. Pretend like it never happened. Am I…always going to feel like this?_

" _ **I think I like it. The piano."**_

She felt her cheeks heat up at the memory. God, she didn't want to remember that. She would never admit it out loud, but a small voice inside herself had hoped Superboy was talking about her during that split second of conversation.

How could she have fallen so far so fast? What was this, some cliche love story?

"Will you stop it already?" Samantha muttered, feeling another wave of nervousness creep through her stomach. Placing a hand on her stomach, the teen pulled a hand up to check her watch.

The two had been in the clothing store long enough. A change of venue would surely help her own mood. No need to sour Superboy's experience with her emotional conflict.

"Superboy, are you decent?" Samantha whispered quietly, questioning whether she should peek around the corner for her friend as her hands fell back to her sides and pushed herself lightly off the wall she leaned on.

"Am I what?" The boy replied back, clearly not understanding what she said.

"I'm just asking if your done getting dressed."

"I think so."

Samantha felt a brow raise curiously at the answer.

 _He thinks so?_

The sound of a door opening behind her, Samantha stepped out from around the corner to spot Superboy, but felt her body go rigid at the sight before her.

There stood Superboy in only his shoes and pants. His shirt discarded and holding the crumpled form of what was most likely the new one he'd tried on, the sculpted clone in all his muscled glory stood calmly in the changing rooms and stared back a shocked looking Samantha.

"It fit." Superboy answered in a deadpan tone, trying to hand Samantha the shirt in his hand.

The brunette couldn't get a word out. She tried, but her voice came out as breathless air every time she tried to form some sort of word to communicate her shock.

Her mind finally fast forwarding past whatever level of shock she was in, Samantha hastily rushed over to Superboy and lightly pushed him back towards the changing stall he'd just walked out of.

"W-Why aren't you wearing a shirt?!" She questioned, her voice harsh but kept to a hushed whisper to deter any attention from her half naked companion. She was just trying to ignore the fact she was touching Superboys' _unclothed_ body.

Larger than the five foot one ice user pushing him, Superboy didn't budge very much from where he stood. Sticking in place, Superboy stared down at Samantha who was still trying to force him back into the changing stall. "You said we we're getting me a new shirt. I have it."

"Where's your old one? You need to put that one back on." Samantha replied, urging Superboy to move.

Superboy turned back around, eyes flickering from Samantha to the shirt in his hand. "I thought I was wearing this one."

"This one is to take home. You still need to wear your old shirt, Superboy. We're just buying a replacement for your old one, not switching out shirts, that's not how stores work." The brunette explained, trying her best to keep her eyes above Superboy's shoulders and not put her hands anywhere indecent.

God, those abs were _distracting_. And everything else was just…

 _How can shopping be so difficult!?_

"Just…go put your old shirt back on. Please? You remember what I told you? It's rude to change in front of a lady, or potentially be seen half naked by one who doesn't know you." Samantha pleaded quietly, taking the shirt in his hands and motioning to the changing room.

Silent for what seemed way longer than ten seconds, Superboy complied with Samantha, turning around and heading back into the changing room.

Making sure to shut the door behind him in case it somehow decided not to close, Samantha sighed and leaned on a nearby wall.

 _I just iterated how I'm supposed to see Superboy as just a friend and then THAT happens?!_

Not caring about her situation, Samantha crushed the shirt into her face and muffled a groan.

 _It's like the world wants to watch me suffer._

* * *

"Please be more careful next time when your changing, okay?"

"I forgot. You can't blame me for it forever."

"I can keep reminding you until you remember, though." Samantha retorted, a small smirk crossing her face.

It hadn't been long since the two left the clothing store. Buying Superboy's' shirt and the clone assuring he'd make sure not to have it happen again, Samantha (after making sure she'd calmed down from the mini emotional roller coaster of hers) followed behind Superboy to an arcade, a shoe store that didn't trap them in never ending suffering, a small cafe where the two grabbed some lunch and oddly enough a flower shop.

It'd been a bit cute to see the last place, the large muscled Superboy standing around such fragile and colorful flowers. A little odd, but he ended up enjoying the pleasant fragrances and the bits of random facts of flower meanings she remembered from books she'd read at home.

Not to mention he enjoyed the same flower she did. Myrtle. Specifically both white and red.

 _Note to self. Try to procure some Myrtle to brighten up the cave._

"Not every day, I hope." Superboy answered back, turning a corner and stuffing a hand in his pocket, the other holding the bag containing his new shirt.

"I'll try my best not-"

"Wow, did you see that?!"

"Is the Justice League going after it?"

Cutting herself off mid sentence at the mention of the Justice League, both Samantha and Superboy stopped in place on the sidewalk, turning towards the commotion of voices. Walking at a faster pace towards the mass of voices, Samantha could spot a good amount of people crowded nearby, most likely the source.

An electronics store just some feet away, citizens of Star City circled around the store's window showcasing stacked TV's. Each screening the same channel, the news headlined a plane that had lost an engine during its flight course to Metropolis.

"This doesn't look good."

"Are those passengers going to survive?"

"Mommy, I wanna see!"

"Don't look dear!"

Samantha felt her hands grip tightly around her purse strap. This was one of the worst things to see when being a hero. It was easy to understand that as a normal person people got hurt or in accidents all the time and nothing could be done to help.

But when you had powers that made you stronger than most and let you be able to make a difference, watching a crime from somewhere you couldn't reach somehow tugged at the heartstrings. Made you feel as vulnerable and helpless as you did before becoming a hero.

She already knew she couldn't do anything, but man did Samantha feel useless right now.

And deep inside she prayed somebody would do something.

"This really doesn't look good." Samantha couldn't help but mutter, standing beside Superboy who also looked at the TV screen.

"Yeah." Superboy responded. It was surely all he too could say in the situation. Neither of them could do anything about it but watch and hope.

As the television screen showed the camera from the news crew zoom as far as it could on the crashing plan descending nearby the city of Metropolis, a sudden blur of color flashed across the screen.

"Wow, what was that?"

"That's got to be a hero! I bet it's Green Lantern!"

"No way! Batman!"

Feeling her eyes narrow in on the screen as best she could at her spot in the crowd, Samantha held her breath in anticipation, perhaps one of the few who'd been able to catch the colors that went past the screen.

Blue, red, and a hint of yellow.

For all the heroes in the league, it was surprising nobody had guessed _that_ hero first when they hoped for someone to arrive. It was his city after all.

"It's him."

Head turning to gaze at Superboy, Samantha noticed the hard gaze that Superboy had glued to the screen. He'd know, wouldn't he?

"Look! The plane!"

The sounds of excited viewers getting Samantha's attention back to the screen, the crashing plane heading towards the large city was still falling….but at a slower rate?

 _No, it isn't getting slower. It's being pushed back._

There was only one person who could do that in record time.

The news camera taking its time showing the plane slow down in midair, the large aircraft astonishingly halted in the sky, though the damage was still apparent from the smoke coming out the broken engine. Ever so slowly the plane turned upright and began to descend back towards the ground, but the trajectory had shifted from the city towards the closest airport.

The news copter that'd filmed the incident live moving closer to the saved plane, the camera zoomed further towards the bottom of the plane which seemed to be holding the weight of the aircraft. Just a speck from a far off distance, the camera lens cleared the image of the speck to reveal the figure of Superman clad in his infamous uniform and cape which whipped in the wind.

" _And here it is folks! The plane that was once ready to crash down in the heart of Metropolis is now slowly making its way to the city's airport for maintenance! All thanks to the heroic spirit and quick action of the city's golden hero, Superman!"_ The voice of the TV reporter exclaimed, the television speakers blasting the message to the viewers spectating on the sidewalk.

"Go, Superman!"

"Good to know we've got guys like him on our side."

"I can't believe he's holding that all on his own and flying."

"Mommy isn't Superman the coolest?!"

Hand resting on her chest as she sighed in relief, Samantha gazed at the multitude of TV screens now showing the image of Superman resting the plan to the ground, smiling and waving to the police offers and fire fighters to help the passengers and take out the burning engine.

Even with what she knew about Superman and the feelings she had on the subject, she'd give credit where credit was due.

 _I hope I can do things like that when I get into the League. That's the kind of work a real pro hero can do._

"At least everyone is okay, huh Superboy?" Samantha whispered quietly, smiling a little at the look of happy onlookers and viewers.

No answer.

"Super-huh?" Hoping to ask why Superboy was suddenly so quiet, the brunette gasped in surprise to see that the taller boy was no longer next to her. "S-Superboy?" She whispered again, hoping she'd just misplaced the powerful teen.

"Oh, no. Not again." Samantha muttered under her breath, moving around the small crowds of people trying to watch the news. Poking herself out of a few crowded sidewalks and jumping off the ground to try and peer over the taller citizens, the ice user groaned. "How could I lose him again? Superboy? Please tell me you're around here somewhere. Pop out and scare me by accident if you have to."

Unfortunately, her quiet call had gone unanswered, even with her targets' super hearing probably able to catch her quiet plea.

 _Okay, we really need to get him an Earth name and soon. We can't keep doing this every time we get separated._

Heading to an empty sidewalk corner and moving her head back and forth to try and spot anything close to resembling the tall, dark, and silent boy, Samantha moved onto her tippy toes and thankfully spotted her target.

He was heading…towards the park?

"Superboy, where are you off to?" Samantha muttered, checking both ways to cross the street before rushing down the crosswalk towards the park entrance. Hand holding the strap of her bag to make sure she didn't lose anything of value, the ice user ran along the neatly paved sidewalk in search for her friend. "He couldn't have gotten that far."

 _ **-Star City Park-**_

 _ **July 27**_ _ **th**_ _ **, Star City 3:40 P.M. EDT-**_

She stared out at the large park in front of her, eyes spotting picturesque scenes along the green grass fields. Men or women playing with their dogs, parents taking their kids out to play sports, an occasional couple enjoying their company together with a picnic.

And just a few feet away, Samantha spotted a figure sitting alone on a shaded bench. Sticking out like a sore thumb, the figure sat hunched over with their hands lazily on their lap, as if trying to tell others to stay away with their demeanor.

She already knew who it was from where she stood.

Sandals quietly knocking against the sidewalk, Samantha was enveloped in the shade of a nearby tree as she stopped at the empty side of the bench Superboy sat on. Unmoving and making no sign to show he'd even noticed her walk by, Samantha's lips turned downwards into a saddened expression.

"You know," She spoke, trying to get Superboy's attention. "It's rude to leave a girl like that without telling them where you're going."

"Mmm." Was the response Superboy gave, nothing close to anything intelligible for Samantha to make out.

It wasn't any sort of reason to explain him walking off, but it wasn't an apology either. It was just the way he talked when…

Taking her purse off her shoulder and moving to sit on the empty seat on Superboys' left hand side, Samantha placed her purse next to Superboy's clothing bag. "It's also a little rude to not give a girl a proper answer, either."

"Mhmm."

Another grunt was her answer.

Leaning forward a bit to keep her gaze glued to Superboy's scowling face, Samantha placed her chin in her hands and leaned in to continue watching the clone sulk. The silence continued between them, despite Samantha arriving and simply sitting quietly next to the clone for about five minutes.

She didn't want to say it, but if Superboy gave her no choice…

"Did you leave because of the news report?"

"Mmhm." Another grunt followed by a twitch of the hand.

It was faint, but Samantha saw Superboy's fingers twitch as if wanting to grip tight into a fist. Blue eyes glaring down at nothing on the ground, the ice user could tell what she said got to the boy.

Did she dare push further?

 _Please don't let this be the thing that ruins Superboys' day. Today was supposed to be different._

Putting her hands down on her lap and back arching to lean further to try and look Superboy in the eye, the brunette spoke up. "Has…he called you? Contacted you at all?"

The unnerving silence between the two, Samantha stayed in place to hear or see any sort of answer that gave that Superman had done something. Anything that showed Superboy was getting some kind of familial attention he needed and wanted since getting out of Cadmus.

Superman couldn't have been quiet for this long, could he?

"No." Superboy answered harshly, making Samantha pull back from the clone. "He hasn't."

Samantha felt her stomach drop at the answer.

"Oh. Superboy, I'm sorry-" Samantha spoke.

"I don't need your pity." Superboy spoke up, cutting the ice user off. "I don't care anyways."

"I'm not pitying you, Superboy. I'm worried about you. And I know what you just said isn't true. You're hurt about it, I can tell." Samantha responded back, eyes glued to the clone. "Anyone in your position would be sad and angry about their father not contacting them or trying to talk things out."

"Yeah, well not just anyone has Superman for a father." Superboy retorted back, raising his head up to stare back at Samantha and his eyes alight with frustration.

Stiffening a little by her friend's harsh gaze, Samantha closed her mouth shut and turned away from Superboy.

 _Don't be scared. You know he didn't mean to yell at you. Superman is still a touchy subject. He's still learning how to control his emotions._

Unsure of how to proceed, Samantha just sighed and sat beside the brooding super clone and awaited any sign of his personality changing. She wouldn't leave him on his own feeling the way he was, but having to watch him think about all of this drama and look so confused felt like torture to the ice user.

He wouldn't talk the way he was now and any kind of support she tried to give was swatted away. Was there anything she could do to fix this?

 _When I was always feeling bad, Reginald would do something nice for me. Get me flowers, take me out, share something sweet. . . ._

Wait, the last one!

Attention moving back and forth around where Superboy and she sat, Samantha spotted a small ice cream cart off in the distance. Eyes drifting to her saddened ally, Samantha nodded determined to herself before reaching for her purse.

"Superboy, I need to get something real quick. Could you just stay here and watch our things. Please?" Samantha asked quietly, pulling out a bill and looking at her friend for an answer.

Eyes once again glued to the dirt ground, Superboy nodded, not giving any sign of a verbal answer her.

Sighing, Samantha did her best to smile and got up from her seat. "I'll be back, okay? Promise." With a smile not seen by the clone and a wave of her hand, Samantha headed off down the road to her next destination.

Money in hand and moving around any people that nearly bumped into her way down the walkway, the brunette slowed in pace and stopped in her tracks at the small ice cream stand neatly tucked nearby some shady trees and benches.

 _Let's hope to the ice cream Gods that it isn't all gone today._

"Why hello, young lady. You look quite nice today." The shopkeeper complimented from behind his stand, adjusting his glasses a bit and noticing Samantha with a kind smile.

"Thank you. Good afternoon to you." Samantha responded back with a proper bow, the high society greeting long ingrained into her system. Rising back up, the brunette scanned over that variety of flavors the owner had. Each one sounded delicious to have on the hot day it was.

 _But which one do I get Superboy?_

From what she knew, he'd never had ice cream before. He didn't have any flavors he liked or disliked, but if she chose one he ended up not liking, it would mess up her own plan.

"Which do I choose?" Samantha muttered to herself, head turning back to look at Superboy from afar.

"Hm? Having trouble deciding, miss?" The owner asked.

Attention moving back to the owner, Samantha rubbed her neck and sheepishly nodded. "A bit. I know what I want, but I can't decide for someone else."

"Ah. You with that boy over there sitting on the bench?" The old man asked, pointing to Superboy in question. The old man shook his head. "What's wrong with that boy? Looking so glum when his nice girlfriend is trying to get him something sweet to eat."

Face aflame at the misconception, Samantha shook her head hastily to correct the older gentleman. "N-No! We're just friends, sir. He's…having some family trouble, so I wanted to try and cheer him up, but I actually forgot he's never had ice cream before, so I don't know what he'd want." Samantha spoke, fingers fidgeting with one another.

Eyes widening in surprise at the comment, the old man starred back at Superboy in disbelief before turning back at the nervous brunette. "Never had ice cream, you say? I'll get you and your friend something special then. Just hold on a minute."

Taking the vendors' word for it and waiting for a good few minutes for the man to work his magic, Samantha was greeted moments later by the vendor with a large sized ice cream cup, filled with a scoop of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream topped with chocolate sauce traced to make the ice cream have eyes and a smiling face, along with a single cherry nose and two spoons already prepared.

"Here you are. I call it the smiley sundae. The biggest main flavors of ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce and a cherry. I'm sure at least one of these will get his tastebuds going." The vendor explained, handing Samantha the icy treat.

"Thank you!" Samantha exclaimed, smiling back at the cute design on the ice cream. "Oh, how much is this? I didn't see anything like this on the menu."

"Aww, it's not on the menu. I thought it'd just be nice to whip something up nice for your friend over there." The vendor spoke, looking over back at the sulking Superboy. "From the way your friend looks over there, he really needs something to help him out. The ice cream may be the trick to helping him feel better, but you got to do just as much on your own. Good friends like you are what people need to get them through the tough times dear, not food."

Taken aback by the wise words given to her, Samantha stared down at the ice cream, only to move her gaze back to the ice cream man.

"Thank you for the advice, sir. I'll keep it in mind." Samantha thanked, though she ran over and placed the twenty dollar bill she'd grabbed into the small tip jar of the vendor's cart. "And I know I'm technically not supposed to pay for it, but my conscious wouldn't let me sleep well without compensation for the food. Or the wise advice."

A hearty laugh escaping the old man's mouth, the vendor nodded and walked back to man his store. "You're a good kid. Hope you and your friend enjoy that treat."

"We will. Thank you again." Another bow was given to the vendor, Samantha carefully headed back to Superboy as fast as her feet could take her without potentially ramming into people or letting the ice cream melt.

Able to spot the bench where Superboy still was sulking, Samantha felt her lips stretch out into a smile and move to stand in front of the teen. "Superboy, I'm back. Thanks for watching everything."

"Mhmm."

"You're still going to grunt like that? You keep doing that and I'm not going to give you what I ran off to get." Samantha challenged jokingly, hoping a change in mood would somehow help Superboy.

"You got me something?" Superboy asked, hint of surprise making itself known in his voice.

Smile growing wider at an actual answer this time, Samantha reached the sundae out to place in front of Superboy's face in all it's delicious glory. "Tada! I got ice cream!"

The colorful treat staring him right in the face, Superboy moved his head up to look at Samantha's ecstatic face. "What's an ice cream?"

Chuckling at the question, Samantha continued to smile. "It's food. It's sweet and cold, so it's good to eat on hot days like this. I thought it would make you feel better since…you know." She muttered, hoping to push the subject aside.

Blue eyes moving from Samantha back to the frozen treat, a dark brow raised at the sight of the food. "Why is it smiling?"

"It's a smiley sundae. It's just a drawing using chocolate sauce. It's really good, trust me." Moving to take her seat back on the bench next to Superboy, Samantha placed the ice cream between the two and handed Superboy his own spoon and took hers. "You've never had ice cream before, so the vendor gave me the most popular flavors. Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry to snack on, plus a cherry to eat if you'd like." She mentioned, pointing each flavor and taking a bite of vanilla for herself. "Try it. It's really good. You can have any one you want."

Given the choice, Superboy played with the spoon in his hand and stared off for a few seconds, inspecting the dish in front of him. Utensil moving back and forth between the scoops of ice cream, Superboy decided to settle in on the flavor she'd taken a bite of; vanilla.

Quietly watching to witness the clone's first taste of ice cream, Superboy put the spoon in his mouth and let the ice cream's taste wash over his tastebuds.

"So? How is it? Do you like vanilla?" Samantha asked curiously.

Silence her response, Superboy made no move to speak, but body language such as his eyes blinking a few times and his lips pursing in confusion at the sudden taste invading his mouth showed that at least he was registering the flavor.

The brunette thought something might have been troubling when she didn't get a word out of the clone, however just as she was about to ask again, Superboy reached his spoon back into the delectable treat and swallowed another bite of vanilla ice cream.

And then another.

Then another.

By the third bite of ice cream, Samantha just smiled and accepted the silence as is, knowing that Superboy was a guy of action.

 _He wouldn't be eating it if he didn't like it._

"I'll take your word for it." Samantha said, answering her own question and taking a bite of strawberry ice cream and sat alongside the super clone devouring the sundae at record speed.

But…then he stopped.

Spoon still held in midair holding the melting remains of strawberry ice cream, Superboy closed his mouth and stared down at his spoon, eyes narrowing in on the food as if he was inspecting the melting process of the semi-solid sweet.

"Superboy? Is something wrong?" Samantha asked, confused by the sudden halt in his eating. Had something gone wrong with the food?

The boy in question didn't answer her. Instead, his head turned to the right, face turning away from her gaze. Why?

"Superboy?" Samantha asked again, starting to feel a little worried at the silence.

A second later Superboy turned back around, though his gaze still stayed downwards to avoid her own. Tough to see from where she sat, hints of stress seemed to appear on Superboy's face. Brow furrowed, eyes staring intently at the bench, a frown on his face.

He looked disappointed.

"Su-"

"I-"

 ***RING***

A sense of fear gripping the two teens for unknown reasons, the two closed their mouths shut; fear that they would cut one another off again. The other noise forgotten, both Samantha and Superboy stayed silent and continued staring at one another, hoping the other would speak up again and talk.

 ***RING***

The ringing noise coming up again, Samantha's brain jolted her out of her stupor. Her attention focusing on the noise that had ringed to life again, Samantha shifted her eyes towards where the sound was coming from.

"Oh, sorry! That's my phone." Samantha hastily answered Superboy and her breaking eye contact as the brunette reached down for her purse. A bit relieved the phone had snapped her out of her staring, the teen turned on the screen of the phone and stared down at the caller ID.

 _ **CALLER: ROY HARPER**_

She frowned.

What was he calling her for?

 _Superboy sounded like he wanted to say something to me, but Roy only calls unless it's important. I haven't talked to him since that fight. What could he want?_

A dilemma now in her court, Samantha suppressed the urge to throw her phone and debated what to do. Looking over to an unsure looking Superboy, Samantha smiled. "Umm…I have to take this. Can you wait here real quick?"

Superboy frowned at the question, but he nodded. "Yeah."

"Thanks. It won't take long." She answered with a reassuring, getting up and walking off with the phone in hand.

 _It better not_.

* * *

Leaning on the trunk of a shady tree a bit away from where she'd left Superboy, Samantha flipped her phone open and placed the speaker to her ear. The click of the phone line connecting to the other line, Samantha felt her brows furrow.

How naive she was to think today would be a stress-free day.

"Hey."

No answer.

"… _Hey."_ The deep voice of Speedy answered back hesitantly.

She sighed over the line, hand gripping her phone tightly and the other moving a strand of hair behind her ear.

" _Didn't think you'd pick up."_ Speedy continued, a small hint of his usual joking charm in his words. It wasn't the full confidence that Samantha was used to, but it was still there.

"You know me too well, Speedy. I don't waste my time on things that don't deserve my attention." She answered back, mistrust very clear in her response.

" _Cold as ever. You're sounding a lot like your father."_

Squeezing her phone tighter, Samantha hissed through the phone. "If this is all you wanted to say to me I'm-"

" _Wait, wait! Don't hang up!"_ Speedy yelled through the phone.

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Samantha moved the phone close to her face to stare at the caller ID on the screen. Thoughts shuffling back and forth about what to do, the brunette sighed and placed the phone back to her ear. "Fine. But you're on thin ice with me."

" _I know,"_ Speedy responded, his voice sounding rushed and tired. _"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't call to insult you. That just came out. I…didn't mean it."_ An angered sigh traveled through the phone line.

Fingers loosening from the device, Samantha leaned a foot on the tree. "So? What'd you call for then?"

" _I…called to apologize."_

She felt her eyes roll.

"This is a really bad apology than. What kind of jerk apologizes on the phone to someone? The least you could do is do it face to face." Samantha answered sadly, a frown dragging her lips downward.

" _I know. It's stupid the way I'm doing it, but I hear you're busy nowadays like me."_

"Who told you that?"

" _Kid did. Robin too. They both called and told me all about that mission you guys had in Santa Prisca."_

A groan escaped her lips. "Of course it was them. I'd hoped those two would keep our missions confidential. A little secrecy of our activities is more important for the work we're doing."

" _If it makes you feel better, it was so they could convince me to join the team again. Something I mentioned, along with some others, were still against."_ Speedy answered, emphasizing the last bit of his comment to her.

 _Good. At least that means he listened. He should know exactly why I was against it._

"Good. You remembered what I said." Samantha replied, arm crossing over her chest and leaning on the phone to hear Speedy better. "I guess I'll let you off the hook for that. For now….Go ahead then. Give me your best shot, Roy."

She knew from the tone he was giving him that she wouldn't accept anything half assed.

" _Yeah."_ He answered, hearing home go quiet on the line and take a deep breath.

When was the last time she ever heard Roy sound nervous about anything? Had he ever heard him nervous?

" _Look, you know I'm not good with apologies. We're both kind of the same. Strong-willed and determined, but we're stubborn when it comes to our viewpoints. Me, a little more maybe."_ Speedy started.

"Maybe?" Samantha commented, eyebrow raised at the comment.

" _Hey, I'm not done."_

"Right, sorry. Go ahead." Samantha answered, feeling herself smile at how annoyed he sounded. However just as she felt herself smile, she urged herself to stop. There was no reason to smile when Roy was still in hot water.

" _I,"_ Speedy started, going silent for a bit as he tried to gather his thoughts. _"I said a lot of things that day. Back in July at the hall. I was angry about it all. I'd been training and waiting all my life to get recognized for all the hard work I did when I was younger and that day was supposed to be the day I…we were all supposed to become true partners to our mentors. To fight alongside them as equals and not be treated like some dumb kids."_ Speedy explained, his voice slowly raising in anger with each word he spoke.

Memories flooding back into her mind of the day, Samantha twirled a strand of her hair in between her fingertips.

She said nothing, letting Speedy continue.

" _Instead of what we were promised and trained for most of our childhoods, what do we get? Lies in our faces, patronizing from our so-called mentors and thrown into another web of lies to make it convenient for them and keep us in line. I was pissed and angry for what they did to me. I didn't even feel like I was a partner to my own mentor after what happened. He didn't even try to defend us in our situation,"_

Stopping for a moment to catch his breath, Roy sighed and his voice fell to a somber tone.

" _In the end, I just wanted out of there. I was tired of the League getting in my way and outraged with wasting my time on it at all. But…I unintentionally threw my rage at you too, Samantha. It was unprovoked and you were just trying to convince me to calm down and stay with you all, but I bit your head off and yelled things at you that I shouldn't have. Things…that were private between us."_

Fingers freezing in her hair, Samantha felt her teeth grit against one another.

It was true. Things he'd argued with her that day were things she never told most. Her dreams, her wants, the problems and disagreements with her father that had gone on for years. She'd told them to him out of close friendship and confidence.

And in the end, he used them against her for his own anger.

" _I'm sorry,"_ Speedy repeated, trying the best he could to convey his emotions through the phone line. _"I know an apology like this after so long is rude and immature for someone. Even me, but I want you to know that I mean it, Sam. I've had a lot of time to run everything I've done over my head since that day, and I get what you meant before. About how selfish I was being. I said things out loud that can't be taken back; things that people should never use against someone they're friends with. I acted like a real ass._

 _I can't become somebody like that to the person I…"_

Frowning, Samantha shifted her gaze to the phone to her ear. Reaching her hand to lay on her chest, Samantha quietly spoke up. "Roy?"

Hearing nothing at first, a gruff scoff answered her call.

" _It's nothing,"_ Roy answered, trying to dissuade Samantha's worry. _"I got to go. I'll…see you around. Get you that apology face to face sometime_?"

Unable to form words for a moment, Samantha caught her breath and felt her face heat up a little for some reason.

"Yeah," She answered, slowly finding her voice. "I'd…like that, Roy. I'd appreciate the gesture."

" _Alright. I'll see you around."_ Just as the call was about to end, Roy spoke up _. "Oh yeah. Congrats on becoming sub-leader. You earned it."_

"…Thanks."

The phone line disconnecting the call between her and Roy, Samantha sighed, shutting her phone and placing it against her chest.

That….had been a far different conversation than Samantha had expected to have with Roy.

 _The way he talked, the way he sounded. It seems like he really listened and thought about what I sad. Even with the dumb way he apologized by calling, he wasn't making fun of anything or arguing his point further. He just…apologized. For everything._

Had working on his own somehow made Roy a bit more mature?

"I really hope his new life is working out the way he wanted." Samantha muttered to herself, moving away from the tree she leaned on. "Best to get back to Superboy. He has to be getting bored sitting around waiting for me."

"I'm not bored." A voice answered her.

"Ah!" Unable to hold in a yelp of surprise, Samantha twisted around to face Superboy, the much taller boy calmly standing behind her.

How did he do that without her noticing? Had he heard her talking to herself?

"Don't do that, please. If you couldn't tell, I'm sort of jumpy." Samantha muttered, placing a hand on her chest as her heart slammed against it. "I thought you were going to stay on the bench and wait for me."

Face scrunching with discontent, Superboy spoke as his eyes moved down to his side. "I was, but something came up."

"Something came up?" Samantha asked, her brown eyes following Superboy's gaze.

She had not noticed whatever it was when Superboy first arrived, but there seemed to be something behind his back.

Or rather, a someone.

A tiny figure clutched to the pants leg of Superboy, the small head of a black-haired boy poked out from behind the gigantic clone in comparison. Blue eyes wide with uncertainty, fear, and threatening to tear up, the boy sniffled and a quiet voice peeped out of him.

"I-I want my daddy."

Unsure of how to respond to such a strange sight before her, Samantha momentarily stood quietly in place before she realized what she was looking at.

Switching into a mix of Winter and mature young adult, Samantha bent down to the grass to stare eye level with the child. "Hey, it's okay. We'll help you find your daddy."

Hiding away behind Superboy's leg for just a second, the small boy peeked his head back out to look at Samantha. "Y-You will?" The boy asked, sniffling a bit.

"Uh huh. Me _and_ my super tall friend you're holding onto," Samantha mentioned, eyes looking up to Superboy as she mentioned him. "What's your name?"

"C-Conner." The boy answered, moving a bit closer to Samantha after answering.

Seeing the boy move closer, Samantha reached into her purse pocket after getting it handed to her by Superboy. Taking out a small handkerchief, Samantha wiped away a few small tears off the child's cheek and let him use it to wipe his nose.

"That's a nice name. I'm Samantha. And my big friend next to you is-" Looking over to stare up at Superboy, the brunette frowned a bit at finding her next words.

She couldn't just say Superboy was his name. Well….maybe she could, but she couldn't risk others hearing her. Yet again was the problem of no Earth name for Superboy coming up.

 _Think Samantha, think! A name shouldn't be that hard!_

"This…is my friend, Conner," Samantha answered, her voice sounding a bit unsure of her own answer. "I-Isn't that funny? You guys have the same name." Feeling like her little lie would hold, Samantha winked to Superboy, pleading mentally that the clone would catch on and play along.

An eyebrow raised at her as a response. Not a good sign.

Confusion slowly appeared on his face. Once again, not a good sign.

"Why are you blinking one eye at me?"

Feeling a painful stab inside her chest at the question, Samantha's face fell and the brunette face palmed at the unanswered question.

There was _a lot_ Wally and Robin were going to need to teach Superboy.

Deciding to forget the social flub and ignore Superboy's question to distract the young boy, Samantha turned to focus on the smaller of the two Conners and mustered up a smile. "S-So don't worry. I'm sure your daddy will be able to tell you two apart."

Giggling and shaking his head, the smaller Conner looked up at Superboy. "I know that. My daddy knows what I look like."

Amused at seeing the young child no longer afraid, Samantha reached a hand out to him. "Here, take my hand. You can help make sure I don't get lost while we look for him."

His mood getting better and feeling he could trust her, the young boy walked over and grabbed Samantha's hand, his small fingers entwining with hers. Standing back up on her feet, Samantha walked alongside the sidewalk of the park with the young boy beside her; Superboy following quietly beside them.

And so Winter and Superboy were off on another "mission".

* * *

"Who do you think would win in a fight? Superman or Batman?"

"Ooh, that's a tough one."

The three walking after each and every small playground they could spot, Samantha and Superboy had ended up becoming the playmates of the smaller Conner on their little expedition. With time passing by fast and the worry of not being able to find his father creeping up on him, Samantha decided to dissuade the boy's worries by playing games and answering fun questions.

Most being about superheroes. Especially once the young boy had spotted Superboy's shirt.

"Batman does have a lot of gadgets and he's super smart." Samantha playfully argued.

"And he has the batmobile!" The smaller of the two Conners answered excitedly.

Laughing with the young boy at the sight of his energy, Samantha turned her head to look over at Superboy, still the most quiet out of the bunch. Even after all their talking and chatting through the day, was he still not ready to be sociable with people?

"What do you think, Conner?" Samantha asked playfully, leaning over to Superboy to try and get his attention.

"What?" Superboy asked, realizing that Samantha was talking to him.

"Who would win in a fight. Superman or Batman?" Samantha asked, eyebrow raised at the teen and lightly elbowing him to get his attention.

"Yeah! Who'd win? Who'd win?" The tinier boy asked, jumping up and down between the two teenagers.

Eyes drifting away from the two, Superboy shrugged his shoulders. "How should I know?"

A bit taken aback by the answer, Samantha's jovial attitude simmered down and she chuckled lightly to ease the tension, though her expression turned downcast. She couldn't force Superboy to participate if he didn't want to."Y-Yeah. I guess it is tough to decide, huh?"

Noticing the sudden shift in temper from the brunette, Superboy looked back at Samantha to try and say something, but closed his mouth a moment after; deciding to stay silent.

Silence communicated on both ends, another voice broke out between them.

"Are you guys fighting?" Conner asked.

Surprised by the sudden question, from the young boy no less, Samantha starred wide-eyed for a moment before shaking her head. "What? N-No, we aren't fighting, Conner. Me and…bigger Conner are just talking. That's all."

"Oh. Okay." The boy answered, giving Samantha a big smile.

Samantha couldn't do anything else but smile back. How she wished she could have the bright optimism of this child.

"Conner! Are you here!?"

Swiftly turning towards where the voice was coming from, the smaller boy lets go of Samantha's hand and ran towards the voice. "That's my daddy!"

"C-Conner! Wait for us!" Samantha cried out, taking off along with Superboy behind the young boy.

Watching the boy make a beeline towards an older man with black hair and wearing nice pants and a work shirt, the older man smiled widely and bent down on one knee, reaching hands out towards the small boy.

"Conner! You're okay!" The man exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the small child in his arms.

"Daddy!" Conner exclaimed, wrapping his tiny arms around his father as best he could. Gripping tightly onto the man's shirt, the boy was lifted off the ground and nestled into his fathers' shirt.

Thankful at the sight of both son and father reuniting, Samantha and Superboy stopped running beside one another; the brunette taking a few deeps breaths of relief at their search finally being over.

"Thank goodness. I'm glad we found you." Samantha said, smiling to Conner and his father.

Turning towards the new voice, Conners' father smiled gratefully and walked over to Samantha and Superboy. "Are you the ones who found my son? Thank you! Thank you so much! You don't know how worried I was when he disappeared out of my sight."

"It's fine." Superboy muttered, looking a bit uncomfortable at the many thank yours being thrown at him. Eyes avoiding the man's gaze, Superboy turned his head away.

A bit mores sociable and speaking for the two of them, Samantha nodded and gave a thumbs up. "It was no trouble. We're just glad Conner got back to you safe and sound."

"I am too. Conner, what do you say to the nice man and woman who helped you?" Conner's father asked, urging the boy to look back at the two teens.

Pulling his face away from his father, Conner moved a slightly tear stained face to Samantha and Conner. Smiling, the boy cried out "Thanks!", only to submerge himself back into his father's shirt.

Chuckling at his sons' behavior, Conner's father stared gratefully at Samantha and Superboy. "We mean it. Thank you so much."

"Just keep an eye on him better." Superboy added though he made no move to look at Conners' father face to face at his comment.

"Su-C-Conner!" Samantha sputtered out, a bit surprised by the slightly harsh comment. She knew as well that the boy's father had not done such a good job watching his own son, but to call him out like that?!

 _Family and fathers must still be a touchy subject for him._

"It's okay," The older man answered, trying to calm Samantha down. "He's right. I should have looked after my own son more closely. I won't make the same mistake again." Keeping a good grip on his son and thankfully nodding to the two teens, the father and son duo waved goodbye and walked off from the park.

Now back to their group of two and their latest adventure now over, Samantha sighed and felt her shoulders sag a bit. "All's well that end's well, huh?" She asked, looking over to the quiet clone next to her.

"Yeah. I guess so." Superboy muttered, eyes still focused on nothing in particular and never making eye contact.

"Hey, c'mon," Samantha spoke playfully, nudging an elbow into Superboy's arm. "We did our good deed for the day and fulfilled our duty as heroes. There's no reason to _guess_ we did okay."

"Sure. No rest for heroes." Superboy replied, walking down the sidewalk of the park as if trying to get away from the brunette.

 _There he goes. Back into another one of those moods of his. Just like when he saw Superman on T.V_.

Would trying to talk about his mood get him mad again like before? It was highly likely, but Samantha didn't feel right leaving Superboy feeling the way he was, acting the way he was.

Quiet, unsociable, hesitant, uncertain.

All of that progress having him open up a bit more and enjoying himself went down the drain if she allowed it to continue.

 _Not this time._

"Hey, wait up," Samantha called out, jogging a bit to catch up with the fast pace of Superboy. Catching up to him, Samantha slowed down her pace and took a step forward in front of Superboy, halting him in his tracks. "What's wrong, Superboy?"

"Nothing." He deflected, trying to get around the smaller girl.

"It's not nothing. I can tell, you know. And I don't like being lied to. Especially twice in one day." Samantha retorted, not backing off from Superoy's efforts. Worry swirling in her eyes, Samantha grabbed Superboy and pulled him off to the side away from others attention.

The two alone beneath a shady tree, Samantha rubbed her arm nervously, trying her hardest to calm her nerves. Out of all the times she'd been with Superboy since meeting him, she never thought she'd have to be forceful with him. And to have to be so to just talk…

"You have the same look on your face from before when…you know." Samantha ended cryptically, however it was obvious as to what she was referring to.

She could already tell Superboy knew what she'd meant, given his eyes narrowed to the ground and his brows scrunched with anger.

"You can tell me. Are you annoyed with me?" Samantha asked.

"No." He answered.

"Were you having a bad time today? Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"Did it have something to do with Conner before? Or…his father?" Samantha hinted, trying to ease the subject into the conversation.

Grunting at the latest suggestion, Superboy stared out at the park ahead of them, the light of the setting sun illuminating the park grounds and people still enjoying the daily activities. Seeing he wasn't willing to answer her, Samantha frowned and stayed silent, deciding to follow Superboy's gaze to the picturesque image in front of her.

"I…I don't get it."

Turning to the sound of Superboy's voice breaking the silence, the shorter brunette stared up at her companion, his eyes still gazing out into the illuminated distance.

"What…don't you understand?" She asked quietly.

Hesitant at first to answer, Superboy turned his head away for a moment as if trying to hide from her. Moments later he turned back and blue eyes moved to stare into her chocolate brown.

There it was again in his eyes. Uncertainty, fear, confusion, disappointment, anger. All of those emotions clashed in the deep blue of his eyes, yet even the harsh emotions would not deter Samantha from breaking away from his gaze.

And slowly his lips started to move.

"Conner's father…His son disappeared to go off on his own and got himself lost. Probably messed up something important for his father and made him run around looking for him for nearly an hour. Even after all that worrying and effort, Conner's father was still happy to find his son. He didn't even yell." Superboy explained, hands digging into his pockets. "I don't get it."

Already Samantha felt like giving Superboy an answer would be a challenge. It was tough to make sense of what kids thought or why people did what they did in general. To explain to Superboy why someone would choose to make a choice or do something a particular way was difficult in of itself.

When there were so many reasons to guess why, would a simple answer be enough?

"I'd say…it's because his love for his son outweighed his anger." Samantha answered simply, a hand gripping the strap of her purse. "Yelling would have been the most likely of outcomes for any person who went through what he had to, but at the end of the day what a mother or a father wants most is their child happy and safe. Yelling wouldn't have done anything good and just finding his son safe was enough for him."

The small bit of heavy dialogue over, Samantha leaned on the tree behind them and kept her eyes glued to the back of Superboy, who'd made no move to follow her.

"Look, Superboy," Samantha began. "I know you don't like talking about it with me or the rest of the team, but I…we can all tell that whenever Superman comes up, you just sort of shut down. Or worse, you get angry when we know you don't mean to."

Silent, Superboy did nothing to speak up or respond back to her. Instead, the clone turned his head back over his shoulder, eyes focusing on the ice user.

Taking the silence as the go ahead to continue talking, Samantha spoke again. "You don't have to bottle it all up. The anger, the disappointment. Whatever it is your feeling, there's no reason to just keep it inside," Samantha preached. "I know people who do the same thing. Holding in their emotions and letting them out when they reach a boiling point. It isn't pretty sometimes."

God, was she rambling at this point? Was she making any sort of sense in the least? For as particular as she was in details and observations, Samantha could never overcome the uncertainty of failing.

This subject was so….hard to talk about. Perhaps it was because of her own issues with her father and family life, but all Samantha wanted was for Superboy to know he wasn't alone in any of these feelings.

 _So…just say that._

Scratching her neck lightly, Samantha felt her gaze burrow onto Superboy. "So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that…you don't have to just stay quiet whenever you get mad or want to talk."

Moving away from her spot and walking over to stand back next to Superboy, both turned to stare at the setting sun in the distance, the orb of light descending behind the large skyscrapers of Star City.

"I'm…your friend."

 _Even if somewhere deep inside something else wants more._

"The team and I are here for you."

 _I'm always here for you._

"You don't have to go through any of this alone."

 _You aren't the only one with father problems._

"There's no need to stay quiet whenever you want to say something."

 _You can talk to me if you need to_.

"So…don't shut us out, Superboy. We're a team. We stick together through the easy and the hard times." Samantha concluded, a small blush creeping across her cheeks at the speech she'd just spoken to her team mate.

Had any of it resonated within him? Or did all her words fall flat?

"I-I mean you don't have to listen to anything I say, but it's just some advice. Good advice, in my own opinion-"

"…I'm sorry."

Well, that was an answer.

Confusion overwriting her nervousness from her previous words, Samantha stopped talking and turned her gaze to look up at Superboy, the super powered teen's face now crestfallen.

"You're…sorry?" Samantha repeated, still trying to grasp if she'd heard his response correctly. "S-Superboy, I'm not trying to scold you. I'm just giving advice because I worry about you. You don't need to apologize to me."

"I'm not apologizing for that," Superboy answered, turning to look at Samantha face to face. "I'm apologizing for before. Back…when I yelled at you."

"When you…Oh!" A spark of a memory flashing in her mind, the brunette felt her mind recount back to their time in the park, sitting side by side on the bench after seeing the news report. "Oh….That. It's okay, Superboy. I already knew at that time you didn't mean to yell. You were just caught up from everything with Superman."

"Really?" Superboy asked surprise in his voice at being forgiven so quickly.

"Yeah, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you again." She answered with a reassuring smile.

Nodding at the reinforced forgiveness from his team mate, Superboy shifted his gaze back to the park that began to grow dim. Sighing deeply, Superboy's hands fidgeted in his pockets and slowly he began walking towards the park exit. "I'll…try. If I do get mad about something like this again…I'll try to talk."

Smiling at the slow acceptance of her words, Samantha followed and shook her head. "You don't have to force yourself to. If you don't want to talk, you _don't_ have to Superboy. I'm just saying that if you _want_ to, I'm here."

As lovely as her comment had been, Samantha cleared her throat and coughed in a closed fist as the meaning of her words hit her.

"The team and I, I mean. We're all here for you. Whether you just want to talk or need help." Samantha corrected herself, following alongside Superboy back to their respective homes.

"Okay." It was all that Superboy needed left to say. It was short, but to the point. Just like he was

Purse on shoulder and dress flowing in the slight breeze of the dusk night in Star City, Samantha's eyes drifted from the lights dotting the park and city sidewalks to the tall super clone next to her.

 _I'm happy to know Superboy was okay listening to my advice. Even more so, I'm just glad he enjoyed at least some of this trip. I wanted it to go well, for nothing to go wrong like last time._

Yet even through the memories the two would surely share together of the days events and words spoken, Samantha couldn't help but feel a small ping of sadness echo through her heart, her mind focusing in on a particular event in time.

 _The way he looked at Conner and his father when they found each other. I didn't want to say more, but I know there's more to what you're feeling Superboy. The way the two looked so happy to be with each other, embracing each other and never wanting to let go, words of love and protectiveness pouring out so easily and truthfully._

 _You weren't just angry still at not hearing from Superman. You were jealous._

 _I…was jealous too, to be honest. I wished I had the same relationship Conner and his father have with my own father_. _That's why I know what you're feeling._

"How was your day?" Samantha asked, the question directed toward Superboy. "Did you have a fun time at least, _Conner_?" She joked lightly, using his fake name playfully.

A small chuckling escaping his relaxed state, Superboy shrugged and looked over to Samantha. "It was pretty good. Not sure about keeping the Conner name. I'll stick to Superboy."

"I can live with that, but at least tell me this worked out better than the last time we were in the city." Samantha questioned, smiling with curiosity.

Staring at the smiling girl, Superboy again shrugged his shoulders, but a smaller smile of his own peeked out. "It worked out much better than before. Thanks."

Pride welling up inside her, Samantha moved a hand to grasp at the cloth of her dress, slender fingers gripping onto the fabric with glee.

A sting of pain ran through her chest, yet she masked it with a relieved smile directed at Superboy.

"What are friends for?"

* * *

Man, this took way longer than I wanted it to. That's what you get when you work in a completely different environment and try to write. Gets all your ideas and motivations all screwy. XD

I hope to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I don't know the schedule since school will be starting very soon for me. If necessary, I'll most likely be putting chapters out in parts to make it go a little quicker.

Until than, enjoy your days. ;3

Next Chapter: Schooled


	13. Schooled Pt 1

Hello everyone! I'm here for another chapter. I'm sorry about the hiatus situation, but I wanted to be sure nobody had to keep waiting on me when school became a priority. Now that this chapter is out, i only hope I can get the next part out much sooner than this one.

Please enjoy and thank you for your follows and reviews! Please review if you can. I could really use the advice and criticism. X3

* * *

 _ **-Mount Justice**_

 _ **August 3rd, 12:54 EDT-**_

"As a leader, it is best to always keep a cool head in every situation," Aqualad's voice resonated deeply, his words echoing through the large cave of the mission debriefing room. "Adding unneeded stress from worry and uncertainty can prove fatal in more dangerous circumstances."

Standing alongside Aqualad clothed in her hero uniform like her fellow team mates, the white-haired second in command nodded in understanding, her eyes focused on a small notepad in one hand while the other held a pen.

The team had been called in hours ago. The promise of a mission and needing them all as soon as possible by Batman himself had most of them scurry to the cave like ecstatic kids getting a fun surprise. Already on a high and excitement bubbling from their successful, albeit destructive mission in Santa Prisca, it was no surprise that the team had no trouble making their way to the base as early as possible.

Perhaps...a bit too early now that Samantha thought about it, the idea only iterating more in her mind when she noticed Batman and Red Tornado absent; as well as Superboy who was still on a mission in Metropolis.

If only she could have gone.

Not just because Superboy was going or anything! She just was glad that the bonding time for him and Superman had finally come. She wanted to be sure nothing went wrong.

As a friend, of course. Who was worried about another friend.

But she knew better than to intrude on that. That was Superboys' time with his father and she had no reason to be there, no matter how much her stomach was flipping out about not knowing how it was going.

Occupying herself was the best bet until she and the rest of the team heard the good news from the clone himself.

So with free time in her schedule and knowing she was not going to just sit on the couch in an unproductive manner, the ice heroine decided it was high time she get started on her leader training. The first step being to ask Kaldur for his wise advice on how best to keep level-headed. With M'gann, Wally and Robin dueling one another with a holographic game table to kill the time, Samantha had situated herself far off to the side with Kaldur, hoping to stay far away from any other distractions during her note taking.

Extremely, well written note taking she might add.

"Prove fatal in other circumstances." Samantha muttered in repetition, scribbling every word down.

Smiling at the invested form of his teammate, Kaldur rose a brow at Samantha's avid note taking. "Are you truly alright with writing down every word of advice I give you, Samantha? There is no need. I am happy to repeat any advice again if you require."

Pen stopping momentarily in it's tracks, Samantha looked up to the Atlantean before her eyes slowly drifted away from his own gaze as they gleamed with uncertainty. "Is it…bothering you?" Her notepad lowered a bit to reveal a worried facial expression. "I'm the one who asked you to do this for me, so I don't want to waste your time asking again if I forgot. Taking notes seemed like the best option."

"I understand that you wish to not burden me with your questions, but as I said in Santa Prisca, I am happy to help," Kaldur spoke, a nod of approval. "The effort to remember my words is appreciated, but if you keep writing notes you may in fact hinder your own progress."

"Hinder my progress?" She repeated, the words rolling off her tongue and the pen in her hand lazily poking her lips. Thoughts wrapping around the advice in her head, the ice user slowly nodded and stared down at her notepad. "I'll end up relying on these notes more than myself." She concluded, eyes widening just a fraction to show her realization.

"Indeed." Her fellow leader added, leaning back on the metal sheet of wall behind the two.

Thumb tapping on the paper of her notepad, the young heiress huffed and flipped it shut. "I don't want that. I'm trying to boost my confidence, not make it any less significant than it is." Slipping the notepad and pen into her costumes' pouch, Winter scratched her head. "I'm going to end up making more mistakes trying to make sure I don't at this rate."

"It seems that way at first, but that is how everyone feels when they are learning new skills and find roadblocks their first time. Just take it slow." Kaldur added, a smile gracing his lips to reassure the heroine.

Nodding, Samantha casually leaned back on the same wall. "Astute advice. Now all I have to do is make sure I don't second guess those skills."

A comforting, warm hand rested on the ice user's shoulder; courtesy of the Atlantean."You worry too much. Trusting in yourself is a tough task, however once you learn to grasp it, the road ahead will be much less troublesome."

She couldn't help but smile.

"A road with less bumps would be nice."

 ***Beep***

And than that smile soured into a frown.

"Wooo! Three wins in a row!" Wally yelled at the top of his lungs, the red-head's voice echoing through the cave along with an airhorn signal.

The small bubble of security and calm made by the two leaders popped by the loud noises from beyond, Samantha's shoulders hunched in surprise at the noise and turned to look over at the source of the loud noise along with Kaldur.

All of a sudden a light weight began to build on the ice users shoulders.

"Though, that might be a bit hard with Wally." Samantha muttered, realizing where the sudden stress was coming from.

"We have our work cut out for us." Kaldur concluded.

"We sure do." Samantha added, her comment causing both her and Kaldur to smile to each other before chuckling quietly amongst themselves.

"Hey, what's so funny?" M'gann called joyfully, the martian looking over to see the two leaders silently chuckling with one another.

"They're probably just laughing at Robin's losing streak against me. I know I'd be laughing too if I wasn't such a gracious winner." Wally proclaimed from the game table, a winning smirk on his face while he struck a victorious pose.

"Oh yeah? Best two out of three." Robin retorted back with an eager glint in his masked gaze, setting up the game table once again for another match with the speedster.

Hearing the two other males on the team bicker back and forth playfully, Samantha shook her head and returned her attention to her fellow heroine.

"It's nothing important," Samantha replied, dissuading M'gann's curiosity. "Just trying to wrap my head around all of these leadership pointers from Kaldur. Pretty typical and boring stuff."

"Do you want to play a game with us, than?" M'gann suggested, green eyes sparkling at the two heroes beside her. "It'll be fun to pass the time while we wait for Batman."

"It would be nice to take a break from our lesson." Kaldur spoke up, the first to take of M'gann's offer and headed towards the hologram.

Unlike her Atlantean companion Samantha mulled over the idea, her head tilting to the side in thought. Was it right for her to be slacking off on her new duties as sub leader? Her passion to better know what she was in for was peaking her interest, but on the other hand it sounded nice to just kick back and relax until this mission got underway.

"Are you sure that's wise? Wouldn't it be better to finish the lessons now so we don't stop in the middle and have to continue later? I mean, just in case I need to know something ahead of time." The ice user asked, hesitant to move from her spot.

Kaldur merely smiled back at the hesitant heroine. "We can continue the lesson another time. A balance of relaxation and responsibility is necessary for a focused mind."

"Don't try, Kaldur." Wally pointed out, zipping out of the briefing room for a moment only to return from the kitchen with a banana in hand. Peeling the fruit and taking a bite out of it, the speedster wiggled his eyebrows at Samantha in a joking manner. "You know how she is. All work and no play. Probably hasn't got a fun bone in her body."

A slight pout taking over her features, Samantha crossed her arms over her chest in a protective manner, huffing at the comment. "I-I know how to have fun." Samantha protested, her voice going a pitch higher from embarrassment.

Only a second sooner after her reply was spoken did Wally speed over next to the ice user, the red-head wrapping an arm around the heroine's shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Than why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Wally goaded, taking another bite of his banana and chewing loudly next to Samantha. "Cmghon. Uht'll ve phun." Wally said, attempting to speak with banana in his mouth as he leaned in close to Samantha to annoy her further.

It was working, if Samantha's squirming had anything to say about it.

"Alright, alright. Just stop blowing chunks of banana in my face. It's disgusting." Samantha stressed, pushing a hand on Wally's face as faintly and quickly as she could to not let any of his excess bits of food touch her.

"He sure knows how to push her buttons." Robin muttered with a dry laugh, watching said heroine make her way to the rest of the team while Wally sped back to his spot on the opposite side.

"I guess that's what makes Wally...Wally." M'gann concluded with a shrug of her shoulders, looking over to Samantha and giving her a relaxing smile to ease the girls' irritation.

Seeing the smile, Samantha sighed and let her anger simmer down. Calming her nerves, she smiled back to M'gann in the same, friendly manner.

"That's a given. Nobody can get on my nerves like Wally can." Samantha joked quietly to M'gann, the two girls giggling at their inside joke.

Swallowing the banana down and pressing a gloved hand onto the game table, Wally smirked and set the next game up as he stared at the rest of the team across the table. "Alright, who's got the guts to take on the champ of air hockey?"

"Since you made such an effort to get me over here, I'll give it a go." Samantha responded, taking up the challenge as she placed her hand on the game table, activating her own side of the table. "Somebody might as well knock that cocky grin off your face before this goes to your head."

"Ooh. Someone sounds confident." Wally joked, a gleam of competitive nature popping in his eyes. "Too bad the masses are on my side. My adoring crowd won't want to see me lose." The speedster proclaimed, outstretching an arm to signal the rest of the team.

"Take him down, Sam. Defend my honor." Robin cheered, moving closer to Samantha's side of the table.

"May the best hero or heroine win." M'gann joined in, clapping her hands to add to the jovial mood.

"Be sure to watch his movements." Kaldur spoke, joining in to Samantha's cheering section.

"Hey? I said adoring crowd. Don't side with the enemy." Wally said in a sour tone, the puck of the game table appearing on the screen as he flicked his arm forward in a quick swipe, knocking the puck towards Samantha's side of the table.

"You should know that nobody likes winners who gloat, Wally." Samantha jabbed, knocking the puck back with her own swipe on the table, the puck smacking into the side barriers of the table and zipping back and forth towards Wally. "Looks like I'll need to overthrow you."

Deflecting the puck from his goal, Wally continued his onslaught with a powerful swipe. "Bring it on, ice queen."

Holding in the urge to roll her eyes to continue focusing on the game, Samantha knocked back each attempt Wally tried to score a goal. Thankfully knowing the kind of strategies Wally worked with, Samantha was having a good time holding him off. Yet, even she knew this could go on for much longer if she didn't think of something.

 _Ugh, there I go again. I_ _'_ _m overthinking this like this is a mission. It_ _'_ _s just a game_.

"Man, this is getting tense." Robin muttered quietly, leaning closer to the game table to watch the battle continue.

"To be holding out this long means she's been perceiving his movements. It's commendable, but she'll need to find a weakness in Wally's strategy to win." Kaldur mused, standing alongside Robin as he watched the game continue

"What's the matter there, Sammy? Getting tired?" Wally joked, smirking at his opponent as he blocked his goal from being taken by her. "You seem distracted."

"I'm not. I'm just thinking of a plan, unlike you." Samantha poked back, her own semi-confident smirk appearing.

 _If only there was a way to get Wally...Wait! That_ _'_ _s it! If I can just hold out long enough, that might just work._

Smiling to herself as she knocked the puck back at Wally, Samantha moved her eyes for a second to look at M'gann, the martian noticing the eye contact right away. Moving her ice blue eyes from M'gann to Wally in a quick, yet animated fashion to convey the message she wanted, M'gann stared back at Samantha a bit confused, only to see her eyes widen ever so slightly and nodded, holding in a bit of a giggle as they broke eye contact.

Glad to know her silent message was received, Samantha moved her attention back to the game, pushing the puck back to Wally in their small bout.

"No plan is gonna stop me from taking the fourth win in a row." Wally proclaimed with confidence, knocking the puck back to Samantha.

"You sound really confident about that, Wally." M'gann spoke up, making her way to the red head and standing beside him on his side of the game table.

Taken back by the sudden calming voice of his super crush, Wally moved his gaze away from the table to notice the martian girl beside him, smiling the sweet and innocent smile she always had.

His face melting into a look akin to a lovesick puppy, Wally chuckled casually and shown a cheesy smirk to M'gann, moving his hand on the game table away to lean casually. "Well, when you're as skilled as me at games, beautiful, there's no way you can think otherwise."

"That's too bad." Samantha spoke up with a smirk, seeing her opponent had fallen for her trap. The game puck knocked over by Wally coming her way, Samantha smiled confidently and swiped her arm forward, pushing the game puck back with great force towards Wally's side.

Toward an unprotected goal.

The puck already half way in by the time Wally snapped out of his stupor and heard Samantha make her comment, his lovestruck face replaced with despair and surprise.

 ***Beep***

The game was over...but he wasn't the winner this time.

"What? N-No!" Wally exclaimed, hand reaching up to grasp at his head in confusion, his thoughts for a moment jumbled by the shock of losing.

"Oh yes!" Robin responded, moving over to Samanth and giving her a high five. "Thanks for getting my honor back."

"It was no trouble. After I realized the game was going nowhere, I knew some outside help was needed." Samantha explained, looking over to her fellow heroine and winking back at her. "Thanks again, M'gann."

Giggling a bit, M'gann nodded and turned to the disheartened Wally. "Sorry, Wally. I sort of helped out Samantha a little bit."

"What? Megalicious, how could you?" Wally asked, saddened by the sudden confession of his crush. Realizing the new information, the speedster pointed frantically at Samantha while taking a bite of his banana. "Yugh chefted!"

Her face scrunching in disgust at the second attempt at talking with his mouth full, Samantha feigned innocence with a casual smile and held her head up high. "I did no such thing. Cheating would mean I actively worked to undermine your victory with underhanded tactics and dishonesty. All I did was strategize and work for the good of my team."

"She does have a point." Kaldur spoke up, smiling at the two going back and forth with one another. "She did exactly as a hero and leader would. Kept a cool head and stayed focused, strategized to find the enemy's weakness, and exploited it to gain victory." Stepping over to Samantha, Kaldur gave an approving nod and rested a hand on the petite teens' shoulder. "A plus for today."

"Yes! A plus!" Samantha cheered with a smile, pride beaming from her confident form as she couldn't help but jump a bit in joy at the well received grade.

"Only an unfun person would be more happy about a good grade than winning a game." Wally muttered, finishing off the rest of his banana in one fell bite. "Bught I'ull vee vhack wifh ugh affenginse!"

"Um...Wally, could you repeat that?" M'gann asked, not sure exactly what the speedster said with his mouth full.

"He said he'd come back with avengeance." Samantha translated with a roll of her eyes. "If you're going to threaten me, at least do it when your mouth is not full of food. It's disgusting, like I said."

" **Recognized. B-05. Superboy.** **"**

The familiar sound of the cave's zeta tube recognition software booting up for an arrival, the team turned around to watch the gate light up with zeta radiation. A few moments to have his body fully appear in the room, Superboy walked out of the transporter, insignia shirt, jeans, and boots in all.

Her attention once on the beaming pride she'd had now dashed by the arrival of her friend, Samantha rushed over to the taller boy excited to hear how his mission had gone.

"Superboy! Hey, how did the mission go with..." Trailing off a bit as she noticed the tight, closed fists and hunched form of the clone, Samantha slowed in her walk towards the hero and stopped as Superboy walked past her without so much as a single noise or word.

She turned back to watch him walk off, hoping he'd say something back to her on the way or stop to look at her, but nothing was said.

Not even his usual grunt or scoff.

A frown overtook her features, the once jovial mood and energy she had moments ago now replaced with feeling like a stone was sinking into the pit of her stomach.

 _Superboy. What happened? Did...it not go well?_

Of course it didn't, the condescending voice in her head answered for her. From the way he's acting, the mission went in the completely different direction of going well But why? Did they fight? Did they not even talk? Was Superman critical of him or did Superboy do something that got Superman angry with him?

There were so many questions, but only Superboy knew the answers to them.

Her hands clutched the ends of her battle skirt nervously, not sure what to do with the jumbled feelings that were sprouting inside of her.

 _If he wants to talk, it_ _'_ _s his choice. I told him that but...I wish he_ _'_ _d say something._

"That was very rude for little boy of steel. Should never ignore lady."

"I suppose it's not...wait, what?" Her thoughts a bit side tracked by the arrival and subsequent shutting down of Superboy, Samantha hadn't noticed the taller figure who'd decided to stand next to her, but became aware when she began to answer with her own comment. Turning hastily to the right to see who she'd suddenly began talking to, the white-haired teen jumped in surprise as the figure's name left her lips.

"I-Ice!" Samantha exclaimed, her saddened expression replaced with shock and surprise. The taller and more mature figure of her mentor standing beside her, Samantha focused on making her voice stop straggling out of her own throat to speak "W-What are you doing here?"

Her eyes never leaving the retreating form of Superboy, Ice Maiden calmly spoke. "Friend of mine said she was coming here to help you all today. I decided to come long and see little snowflake and team do business. Did not expect to see rudeness from little boy of steel, though."

Samantha raised a brow at the explanation. She had many ideas of how she wanted to ask Ice Maiden what she was talking about, but one notion of hers made the girl stare confused. "A friend?"

"That would be me." Another voice spoke up, making Samantha turn towards the hallway of the base.

Black boots knocking against the steel flooring of the room, the lean, yet curvaceous figure of a blonde-haired woman made her way into the room. Her body dressed in a black leotard that clung to her well toned form, legs covered by black stockings and her upper form and shoulders dressed with a small blue jacket up to her biceps. One of her hands rested on her hip as she casually swayed with an adult sense of confidence and authority, the woman waved a black fingerless gloved hand up to signal her arrival.

"Black Canary." Samantha spoke with awe, only to recompose herself and bow politely to the heroine. "It's good to see you again."

The faintest of smiles overtaking her lips, Black Canary lost the relaxed look moments after, her eyes shifting from Samantha to Superboy. "Stick around. Class is in session." Black Canary spoke up, her tone clear that she did not want to waste any time.

Stopping in his tracks, Superboy turned back to gaze at the older heroine. His own steeled eyes meeting hers, the two held each others gaze in silence, almost as if a conversation was trying to be spoken with their eyes alone.

One that nobody else would dare try to come between.

Deciding action would better add to her words. Black Canary walked further into the room, taking the center of the room alongside Ice Maiden as she stared at the teenagers around her.

"Like Ice Maiden said, I'm here to help you all today just as I promised the day you all arrived here. I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I've learned from my own mentors-" She spoke, removing her jacket with a wince growling in her throat, a wrap of white bandages around her upper forearm. "And my own experiences."

Miss Martian's face fell at the wound coming into full view in the light. "What happened?"

"The job, little martian." Ice Maiden replied, answering for Black Canary. "Heroes and heroines do not get break because we fight for people who need us. We are strong and fight for truth, but even we are not invincible. Which is why canary bird will be teaching how to not get punched or have bones broken." The blue-skinned woman said with an accepting nod of her head to her fellow league member.

Nodding back, Black Canary looked at the following eyes of the young heroes. "And it won't be easy. First lesson is combat is about controlling conflict; putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, not _reacting_. Now, I'll need a sparring partner."

"Oh! I shall help canary bird." Ice Maiden spoke up, raising her hand excited at the idea.

An amused grin on her face, Black Canary looked back at her team mate. "A nice offer Ice, but I think a better learning experience may be from one of the others taking part."

"Oh. That is too bad." Ice Maiden said with mock depression, walking back to stand with the rest of the teens, though she kept close to where Superboy was in case he tried to leave.

"Oh! Right here!" Kid Flash offered, raising his arm up in a waving motion like he was in a crowd of people. Stuffing the rest of his banana in his mouth and making his way to the center of the stage before Canary had a chance to answer, the speedster threw the peel of his banana into a nearby trash can. " _Swish_! After this, I'll go and show you _my_ moves." The speedster spoke with an air of confidence.

"Eww." Winter muttered, a chill having nothing to do with her ice powers running up her spine. "Does he ever know when to not sound like a perv?"

Chuckling beneath his breath, Robin leaned over to Winter. "Ten bucks he doesn't last a minute."

Smiling at the bet, the ice user kept her gaze on the mock battle. "Thirty seconds is my limit."

"Wouldn't it be more efficient for Kid if we instead gave him our support?" Aqualad spoke up, poking into the two teens' conversation.

Winter shrugged her shoulders, crossing her arms over her chest. "I would have, but after that gross attempt at flirting, I decided to hold my tongue."

Nodding at Winters' explanation, Robin too shrugged his shoulders and laughed a bit. "I just want to see him get his butt kicked by Canary."

A sigh was Aqualad's only response.

Black Canary and Kid Flash settling into their stances as the floor beneath them lit up signaling the match was seconds away from beginning, time passed fast enough that when the match began, Black Canary, who was unaffected by Kid Flash's poor attempt at flirting, rushed in to make the first move.

Surprised by the sudden speed of the older woman, Kid Flash used his quick reflexes to dodge the punch, moving to the right to gain more room between him and his opponent.

Unlucky for him though Black Canary already seemed to anticipate even a speedsters' movements. Taking his surprised mindset to catch him off guard, Canary ducked low to the ground and swung her leg out underneath Kid Flash's, causing the boys' legs to be caught by her own.

The strong sound of a body thudding hard onto the glowing floor, Kid Flash gasped out a hard breath of air at the collision, the teen groaning as his limbs were sprawled out on the floor.

Winter felt her smile widen further, leaning over to Robin. "You can give me my ten dollars some other time."

"Aw man." Robin huffed, saddened he hadn't won the bet.

"Ugh. Hurts...so good." The speedster gasped out, moving his head back to look at the rest of his team mates with a grin, still trying to look cool even on the ground.

"It was a good block," Black Canary complimented, reaching down to help Kid Flash up. "Did anyone spot the mistake Kid Flash made.

Undeniable glee at getting a chance to mess with his friend, Robin decided to speak up with a raised hand. "Oh, oh! He hit on teacher and got served?" He suggested jokingly.

Winter rose a pale hand up to her face, hoping to cover the spreading grin that had appeared from Robin's comment. It was rude to laugh at someone who was failing, but seeing Kid get his butt kicked after his flirting had felt so...satisfying.

Kid on the other hand didn't look so happy at being called out.

" _Dude_!" Kid Flash exclaimed, staring down Robin with a look of shock and a hint of betrayal.

"Was fight supposed to go that fast?" Ice Maiden added in confusion, only making Winter and Robin snicker further at the heroine's observation.

"Aww, c'mon." Kid Flash muttered, being pulled up to his feet by Black Canary and heading back to stand with the rest of the team.

"No, but this is practice, Ice. If we'd like a longer match," Black Canary spoke, her gaze drifting from Aqualad, to Robin, to Miss Martian, than Superboy, and lastly...

"Winter." Black Canary spoke up.

Hearing her code name being called by the veteran hero, the younger ice user straightened up at attention, her previous jovial mood gone as she became clearheaded. "Y-Yes?"

"Would you mind stepping into the ring?" The heroine asked, her head cocking to the side as strands of blonde hair fell over her shoulder. "I helped train with Ice and she passed my training to you. Surely you can last a bit longer than your thirty second bet, right?"

Blushing at suddenly feeling the attention of most of the spectators on her, Winter felt her gaze drift to the ground.

 _Oh, I should have known karma existed!_

"Of course she can!" Ice Maiden proclaimed confidently, clasping her protege's shoulder hard and shaking the petite ice user lightly. "She will show canary bird how well Ice is at teaching. Will not let down, won't you snowflake?" Ice Maiden asked, grinning at Winter with pride.

Blushing at the sudden praise Ice Maiden was giving her with her staring, Winter felt her eyes drift upwards to Ice Maiden, only to slink away in the hopes of not seeing the hope in the adults' eyes.

It was in that small moment of lucidity that Winter caught Superboy in the corner of her eye, his presence clear on her form. Her gaze settling further to see Superboy staring at her and Ice Maiden, the clone broke the eye contact when he'd noticed her, the scowl he'd been wearing morphing into a hardened frown.

What was up with him?

"Snowflake?"

The breath of her mentor whispered close to her ear, Winter jumped in surprise as her nerves stood on edge at the woman's' closeness. Blushing, she spoke up while wriggling out of her mentors' grasp. "Y-Yeah. I'll do my best, Ice."

Heading into the same ring as Kid Flash had and standing at the opposing side, Winter tugged at the ends of her combat skirt and sleeves to loosen her costume a bit to get a feel for moving around.

The floor beneath her heeled boots beginning to glow the same as before, Winter breathed a deep breath to calm her nerves, and slowly let it out as her body settled into a relaxed, yet poised combat stance.

Thank goodness the bruise from Kobra was gone, or this could have been a lot tougher.

The sounds around her beginning to drown out as she focused on the sound of her breathing, Winter reacted quickly when she noticed Black Canary rush towards her, similarly to how she had with Kid Flash.

Not wanting to make the same mistake, Winter called upon her years of maneuverability training and ice skating, making short but fluid motions on the ground to move her feet. Her footwork much reacting far faster than Canary had anticipated, the veteran hero opted for a close in encounter, reaching an arm out to elbow the teen in the chest.

Knowing there just wasn't enough time in the moment to maneuver yet again away from Black Canary with only her feet, Winter gritted her teeth as she pulled herself downward to bend low enough to dodge the elbow, tucking her body to roll out of the way and make space between her and the veteran.

It was a little sloppy, but it got the job done.

Pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face, Winter decided to take the initiative and rush towards Black Canary, swiftly throwing her own punch towards the heroine. Sadly the attack was caught by the gloved hand of the blonde siren, the determined gaze of Black Canary settling on Winter's ice blue. Swinging her own fist towards the heroine's left side, Samantha matched the same movement Canary did and grabbed the woman's fist in her palm, her smaller hand shaking to fight against the woman's bare strength and keep hold.

The siren and the ice user facing one another with fists in hand, the two eyed each other down in a silent stand off, both trying to keep their hold and add their own strength to push the tide of the fight.

"Go, Winter!" Miss Martian cheered, the alien cheering ecstatically at her team mate going head to head with Black Canary.

"Looks like she lasted longer than you, Wally." Robin joked, poking the speedster with his elbow.

Frowning at the observation, the speedster scoffed. "Well...It's cause I wore her down." Kid said, pointing a thumb at himself to try and give himself credit.

"Keep fighting good fight, snowflake." Ice Maiden added, eyes sparkling with satisfaction in her protege's performance.

The sounds of chatter coming from off in the distance Winter couldn't see, the ice user felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her head, strength beginning to really sap out of her during the stalemate. She was actually surprised. She never thought she'd been able to last this long without getting her face slammed into the floor.

Maybe that karma thing isn't all that bad.

Eyes drifting to see the others watching her mock battle with Canary, Winter felt her eyes narrow and strain on Superboy standing off to the side. He was watching somewhat, but his gaze flickered from the match to the floor, glaring every so often.

The ice user felt her face grimace.

 _Why don_ _'_ _t you say something, Superboy?_

"You're distracted."

"Wha-"

A forceful push of her body snapped the ice user out of her staring stupor. Not keeping her mind on the battle of dominance she was in, Black Canary pushed the distracted teen hard, letting go of one of her hands and keeping hold of the other while Winter fell back a bit.

Unable to keep her balance properly form the sudden shift in weight, Black Canary took the opportunity to grab Winter while she was unable to defend herself. Pulling the teen back towards her and watching her flail a bit back towards her form, Black Canary twisted the girl around for her back to face her and reached her arm around her, twisting it and bending it behind the girls back in a forceful lock.

Wincing at the unnatural twist of her arm, Winter regained her balance somewhat, but fell to her knee as she winced in pain from the arm hold Canary had trapped her in.

"That was a good fight. Ice has taught you well." Black Canary spoke from behind Winter.

Wincing as she shut her eyes to register the pain she was feeling and adjust, Winter let out a pained chuckle. "I try."

"That is too bad. Would have liked to see snowflake take down canary bird." Ice Maiden spoke, her excitement falling into that of disappointment of the match being over.

Letting Winter go and stepping back up to her feet, Black Canary stared at the audience and waved a hand out in presentation. "Now for this fight. Does anyone know exactly what Winter did wrong?"

Smirking at his own opportunity, Kid Flash waved his arm up and down while standing on his tippy toes. "Oh, I know this one! Winter was eyeing Supey and got distracted."

Forgetting the momentary pain from the hold Canary had put her through, Winter got up to her feet with haste and glared at Kid Flash, her pale cheeks aflame with a deep blush.

"I-I was not!" Winter cried back with protest, clearly affected by the comment.

"You actually were distracted." Aqualad had to point out, disregarding Kid's comment to add his own.

"Indeed. Snowflake was not watching where she was needing to go." Ice Maiden chimed in, a knowing look being passed over to Winter.

Samantha felt an awkward chill run up her spine.

"I..." Knowing that some of the most mature people in the room had already spotted the momentary distraction, Winter crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, looking away to hide her scarlet flushed face. "It's true. I wasn't paying attention when I should have."

 _This sounds like that conversation I had when I was fencing for father all over again._

The ice user felt a bitter taste in her mouth at the memory.

Nodding at the few comments made, Black Canary stood tall amongst most of the group, her eyes sharp and focused as Winter walked back to join the others. "It was a good match, but you should never allow your opponent to-"

"Oh, please." Superboy spoke up irritated, making the rest of the group in the room turn back to look at the super clone. "With my powers the battle is always on _my_ terms." Superboy said, defiance clear in his voice. "I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time." He finished, ready to turn his back from Canary and her lesson.

"What is he doing?" Winter whispered in a worried tone.

Catching the sight of her protege looking a bit nervous, Ice Maiden bent a bit to lean towards Winter. "Are you worried, snowflake?" Winter asked inquisitively.

Turning her head to look back at her mentor, the worried look on Winters' face only grew larger after being caught. Despite this, Winter quickly tried to compose herself and answer without further embarrassment. "I...Is it wrong to be worried about a team mate?"

Shaking her head, Ice Maiden moved back to her original position to watch Superboy and Black Canary eye each other in the ring, the super boy challenging Canary to a fight.

"He does not need your worry. What he needs is discipline." Ice Maiden answered seriously, eyes carefully watching Superboy from her spot in the crowd.

Superboy decided to take the first move after seconds of silence, using his strength to lean in and throw a hard punch towards Black Canary.

Anticipating the punch and sliding to the left to dodge, Canary reached out and grabbed the outstretched arm of Superboy, his weight already causing him to lose his balance and footing. Pulling him further to ruin his stance, Canary pulled the boy towards herself and used the weight of her turning body and Superboy's falling to twist the boy over her head and flip him over her taller form. Throwing him over her shoulder, Superboy flew into the air for a split second or two before crashing down like a rock, his back slamming hard and grunting on impact.

The youngest member of the team bursting out in a hearty laugh at one of another team mates failed attempts, the hacker felt a sudden thud against his ribs and steeled stare from Aqualad on his left. Fearful of the gaze, Robin decided to turn away to the right to escape the stare-

Only to see the scolding gaze of Winter.

Unable to control his laughter still and the two leaders looking at him with clear disappointment, Robin opted to cover his mouth with his hands, muffled giggles still escaping.

And this was why he wasn't leader.

Anger radiating off his body, Superboy huffed a heavy breath and climbed back to his feet, turning back to glare at Black Canary who watched him from his spot.

Seeing him get up, Canary's face hardened. "Your angry. Good, but don't react. Channel that anger into-"

Ignoring the advice yet again from the siren, Superboy followed with the same rushing attack, a familiar roar of anger heard by the group as he readied a heavy tackle with his body. Rushing like a bull towards his target without relent, Black Canary opted out of confrontation, instead jumping over the charging teen with a front flip. Landing on the floor and ducking below him, Canary swiped a long leg beneath the clones' feet, the sweep pushing Superboy backwards with a thud for the second time.

Winter and the rest of the team frowning, or laughing in Robins' case, the ice user bumped Robin in the ribs the same way as Aqualad had while keeping her eyes on the defeated Superboy.

 _He_ _'_ _s charging far too much into things. He_ _'_ _s not following any of the direction Black Canary is trying to give him either. Does he just not want to listen? Or is something else going on in his head?_

"If you keep looking that way, wrinkle is sure to follow." Ice Maiden commented, moving to lean beside her protege.

"What?" Winter asked, looking back at her mentor. "W-What look?"

"You have look of fear on your face," Ice Maiden said, poking Winters' cheek. "You need to relax. It is only training."

"I..." Unsure of how to response, Winter turned away from her mentor and continued to look at Superboy, the clone getting up once more without the help of the outstretched hand of Black Canary. "I'm fine, Ice." She stressed, hoping her tone would give her mentor a hint to leave her alone. At the moment, she wasn't in the mood to really be joked around with.

 _It_ _'_ _s not fear on my face, Ice. It_ _'_ _s worry. And lots of it for Superboy. He_ _'_ _s not...something_ _'_ _s wrong. He_ _'_ _s angrier than usual._

To think she knew him long enough to know when he was _too_ angry. If that was even possible.

"That's it! I'm done!" Superboy yelled in frustration, picking himself off the floor and turning his back from the training session.

For a moment Winter...Samantha felt her shoulders rise up in a flinch, the loud yelling making her jump a bit. A reflex long since imbedded into her from her fathers' "conversations", Samantha took a nervous breath and watched the scene between Black Canary and Superboy unfold.

Realizing Superboy was getting ready to storm off in one of his rages, Winter took a hesitant step forward in the hopes of trying to calm him down, or at the very least try to talk some sense in him and get to the bottom of this. But just as she was about to take another step towards him, the soft yet powerful grip of someone's hand landed on her right shoulder, holding her down and keeping her in place.

"Stay here, snowflake." Ice Maiden commanded, keeping her hand on the younger ice user.

Her walking halted by her mentor, Winter looked over her shoulder to her long time teacher. "But Ice, he-"

"Will be fine." Ice Maiden finished, her eyes sparkling with understanding and the gleam of maturity showing. "You are good friend to help when he needs, but this is not time. Small boy of steel must learn from teacher. Learn on his own and without help."

"But..." The words of her teacher sinking in, Winter bit her lower lip and looked back at the sight of Black Canary and Superboy having a hardened stare off with one another. Her worrier spirit was slowly building, but she held it in and did her best to relax.

 _Ice...is right. I do want to help, but Superboy did get himself into this mess. He needs to learn on his own._

Nervously, her fingers wrapped around the lace ends of her skirt in a tight grip.

 _You can do it, Superboy_. She silently prayed.

Just as Superboy was opening his mouth to say something back in retaliation, the familiar sound of a message being received rang in the briefing room, a holographic screen appearing and hovering above the group.

The hooded cowl of Batman appearing on screen, Black Canary, Ice Maiden, and the rest of the team all turned to see the dark knight looking back at them with his usual stoic face.

"Batman to the cave. Five hours ago a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary." Batman reported, the young heroes and older keeping their eyes on the screen.

 _A new menace? Is that how Black Canary got hurt? And is Green Arrow okay?_

Frowning, Winter placed a hand on her chin in thought, gaze falling from the screen. For a moment, the thought of wondering if Speedy knew if Green Arrow had been hurt crossed her mind, but just as quickly left her thoughts as Batman continued.

The screen suddenly changing to show various photos taken from the battle, the target of the conversation came up to view in a matter of seconds. Taller than Samantha by more than four feet and body hardened by strong muscles the being looked almost human like, except the strange pointed ears and menacing brute force pushing that theory aside.

Around the combatant was various leaguers from Black Canary, Green Arrow, Flash, Ice Maiden, and even Superman himself holding his own against the unknown force.

"The attacker was capable of studying than duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved to be disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant." Batman concluded, the pictures disappearing as the dark knight came back on screen.

Hearing the news, Winter turned to face her mentor, a look of worry on her face as she tried to look at her mentor for any visible injuries. "Are you okay, Ice? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"Only some bad booboos. Ice Maiden much stronger than silly robot." Reaching a hand to the younger teen, the ice woman softly ruffled the top of Winters' head. "No need to fret, snowflake."

"Wow. One guy with the powers of the entire league?" Kid Flash surmised with astonishment.

"In the end it took ten leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android." Batman added.

This detail caught Robins' attention. "Wait, android. Who made it? T.O Morrow?"

"Good guess Robin, but no. Red Tornado doesn't think so." Batman replied, dashing the younger detectives' theory.

"Technology has symbol of tiny scientist, Professor Ivo." Ice Maiden pointed out, giving the small detail for the rest to review.

"Ivo? But he is dead." Aqualad spoke, confusion riddled in his voice.

"Umm," Voice speaking to add to the conversation, Miss Martian raised her hand up. "Sorry to ask, but...who is Professor Ivo?"

Seeing the confusion on Miss Martian's face, Kid Flash leaned over to the martian. "Criminal scientist with a knack for making some seriously bad tech. He fought the league years back, but uhh...it didn't turn out too well for him in the end." He finished, scratching his cheek.

"Which is why this isn't a very good sign." Winter added, eyes looking to the ground while she thought. "Ivo's dead and suddenly some new tech we've never seen pops up? Is there any way he could have...faked his death? Even possible?"

"I wouldn't put it past a mad scientist like him." Black Canary spoke, turning to look at the younger heroes and heroines. "However this might also just be some leftover tech running around. In either case, we shouldn't let our guard down."

"Which is why we have taken the necessary precautions." Batman answered for Canary, the screen in the room lighting up with a large map, lines of red and blue etching through road lines in the map. "To make certain this threat is neutralized, we're sending two trucks carrying the android parts to two separate Star Lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation. Every step is being taken to making this goes smoothly."

"Why are you telling is this?" Superboy asked, irritation rising in his throat as he glared at the screen.

The cowled eyes of Batman narrowing on Superboy, Batman looked back to the rest of the team. "There will be four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone, attempts to recover the remains. You will be split up into two undercover teams to safeguard the real trucks."

Winter felt her stomach drop at the information.

"We're...guarding the real things?" Winter asked, uncertain if she'd heard right.

"Woohoo! We're going on a road trip!" Kid Flash exclaimed, clearly not registering the information Batman had just dropped on them.

"At least it seems like a pretty boring mission." Robin said looking over to the nervous ice user.

"And this will be a good chance to practice your newly required skills." Aqualad added, smiling to Winter.

Hearing that, Winter felt like her stomach had just disappeared.

 _Oh God, he_ _'_ _s right. We_ _'_ _re splitting into two teams. Which means...I_ _'_ _m going to lead._

Winter placed a hand on her head, trying to keep hold of her skull as she felt a wave of nausea rush through her.

No pressure.

Everything would be fine. Just as long as nothing crazy happened like in Santa Prisca or Cadmus and everyone worked together, the plan would go smoothly and there would be no bumps in the road.

"So now we take out _your_ trash?" Superboy huffed out, a scowl on his face.

Well, there was that.

Keeping her mouth shut as the Superboy began tp pick another fight, the ice user kept her eyes on the clone as Batman did nothing but glare back at the teen, his face showing no sign of amusement or intimidation from the clone. "You have something better to do?"

Glaring back at Batman, but finding no clear answer to retaliate back with, Superboy let his gaze wander away from the screen, his blue eyes meeting with Winter's ice blue.

Anger that once flashed in his blue orbs disappeared, this time replaced with what seemed like sadness and hesitation. Just as Winter was about to speak, see if Superboy would talk, the clone broke eye contact and stared at the floor.

So that was how it was going to play.

"Coordinates received," Aqualad spoke up, cutting through the awkward tension in the air to focus on the mission. Pulling out two GPS devices, the Atlantean gave a nod of agreement to Batman. "We're on our way."

The video communication cut off and the screen disappearing from the briefing room, members of the team began to head out the room and head towards the hanger bay, Superboy being the first to stalk out of the room.

Watching the team head out, Winter moved her gaze over to the form of Aqualad, the Atlantean lagging a bit behind the others as he reviewed the GPS coordinates. Knowing this was the best time to ask, the ice user hastened her walking pace to walk beside Aqualad.

"Hey, Aqualad?" Winter spoke up, trying to keep her voice neutral so the others did not hear them.

Her voice catching his attention, Aqualad looked up from the small devices in his hands and smiled to Winter. "Ah, Winter. Good, I was needing to give you this. These are the coordinates for the truck you and your team will be supervising." The Atlantean said, handing the heroine a small tracking device.

Taking the item in hand and scanning over it, Winter smiled and held the device close to her chest. "Thank you. I promise I'll do my best to keep your lessons to heart today."

Smiling at the clear determination. Aqualad nodded and walked beside the ice user. "I am certain you will do fine. But don't think it is all upon you. You'll have some of the others beside you to help. So don't believe you will need to shoulder all the responsibility."

"Of course. Speaking of our teams," Winter said, trying to ease her way into the subject. "I don't know exactly how you want them formed for this mission, but if possible could..." Winter trying to get the rest of her question, the ice user felt her throat close up on her, apprehension seizing her vocal chords. Uncertain of how to gain control of her voice, her ice blue eyes dropped to the floor.

"Winter? Is there something wrong?" The Atlantean asked, stopping in his tracks and turning to stare at Winter.

"N-No," She spoke up, looking back up and waving a hand to dismiss the concern of the Atlantean. "It's nothing serious. It's just...Superboy."

"Ah," Aqualad answered, nodding to show his understanding. "He was acting rather...harsher than usual. I am sure we were not the only ones who noticed it."

"It was probably clear when he talked back to Black Canary." Winter muttered, a nervous chuckle escaping her throat, only to die out as she composed herself for the conversation.

"You...saw the way he acted. He's angrier than usual ever since he came back from Metropolis." Winter spoke, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know it's not my place to be fretting over team mates like this and try to pry, but the way he's acting...it won't be good for the mission. It'll make it tough for him to work with the others. Which is why I was hoping it'd be okay if he was placed on my decoy team."

"Your team?" Aqualad repeated, minor shock in his tone. "Are you sure you'd like to watch over him in the state he is in?"

She nodded. "Yes. It's not like I believe I'll suddenly take the reigns and get control of the situation if he's on my team, but Superboy is still a bit distant with all of us. I've managed to get through to him a little, but that doesn't mean he's ready to work with everyone. I thought since he's been a bit more willing to take a bit with me, if he's on my team, at least there will be more of a chance of calming him down. Maybe even get to the bottom of this."

As her explanation poured out into words from her lips, Winter nervously rubbed the back of her neck, what ifs' and unknown scenarios popping in her head. "I mean, not that you aren't capable of doing it. You are, just not...I...what I meant to say was-"

The strong clasp of Aqualad's hand on her shoulder knocked the ice user out of her confusion.

"It's alright, Samantha. I understand what you mean." Aqualad spoke, instead using her name to relax her nerves. "We'll have Superboy stick with you. Just...be careful when trying to talk with him. He's more agitated than usual and he might burst out unexpectedly."

"Yeah, I know. He's yelled at me a few times on accident, but he's learning still. I don't take it to heart." Winter said with a small smile, slowly walking towards the hanger with Aqualad beside her.

"Alright. If you need any help, just call on our communication line." Aqualad suggested in brotherly tone.

Smiling back, Winter nodded.

"Got it."

* * *

 _ **-Litchfield County**_

 _ **August 3rd, 20:08 EDT**_ _-_

The sight of the rendezvous point for the trucks checking to be sure all security measures were being taken care of, members of the Justice League surrounded and kept an eye on the parts of the powerful robot being placed in containers and trapped within the large vehicles.

Teams already formulated before the group had left, Aqualad, Miss Martian, and Kid Flash were lined up next to each other formulating one team while Winter, Robin, and Superboy took the second.

The group sequestered in a small clearing nearby some trees and bushes on the large desert roads of Litchfield County, the members of the team were dressed in leather driving outfits color coded to their hero and heroine ensembles. Each teen dressed for protection from leg, arm, and body gear with added helmet, all of the members of the team were doing their own thing to take up their time.

Aqualad reviewing the GPS coordinates.

Miss Martian taking in the view of Litchford County.

Kid Flash playing around with the new features of his transportation.

Robin keeping his eyes on the transports.

Superboy silently gazing out into the distance.

And Winter? Well...

"Stupid mini death trap." Winter muttered, fingers hesitantly gripping upon the handles of the newly acquired miniature motorcycle. A mixed look of terror, uncertainty, and annoyance flooding her features, the ice user fidgeted in her seat, nearly knocking over her bike helmet in the process.

She should have known Ice knew about this when she'd given her that knowing smile of mischief on their way here. The older woman knew how much Samantha did not enjoy rides on the smaller vehicles, but she'd always prod her into riding with her when the two were together, the rides becoming more frequent as of recently and even adding in some impromptu lessons to actually steering thing.

Against her will of course. She should have put two and two together weeks ago, but it was already too late.

Her body covered in an ice blue and white leather motorcycle outfit, Winter tugged lightly on the collar of her outfit, trying to adjust to the tight fitting clothing.

Her hair no longer tied in the usual side ponytail, Samantha rested her hair in a neat hair bun, a small strand or two escaping to frame her face. She'd need her hair as tied up as possible if she was going to keep her helmet on.

"Couldn't I just use my frost step and skate my way along the street instead?" Winter asked, exasperated by the situation she was stuck into doing.

"You think you can keep up by skating?" Robin asked, a playful eyebrow raised as he turned to look at the uncomfortable ice user.

"It's better than having to ride this...thing! I'd feel more safe skating on a street rather than this evil contraption." Winter argued, defiant in tone.

"Well if it makes you feel better, Ice made sure they equipped these bad boys with auto pilot. You can let the death trap steer for you." Kid Flash added with a glint in his eyes, revving his engine a little to spook the ice user. "You know, since your scared and all."

Oh, she was _not_ letting Kid get the better of her.

"I'm not scared," Winter spoke up, shifting her body to sit up straighter than she had before. "I'm being cautious. And I don't need the auto pilot. I'll navigate this...thing on my own. Just you watch."

"Is everyone ready?" Aqualad called to the team, all members of the young heroes turning to look at the main leader. "The trucks are set. Our mission begins now."

All of the teens nodding and taking their time to turn on their vehicles, ready their equipment, or turn on their GPS, the two groups revved their engines and drove out of their hiding place, both team separating from one another as they followed after the large trucks containing their cargo.

Heading out and driving a few feet behind the truck heading towards Star Labs, Winter took the center of the road as Robin drove to her left, Superboy driving on her right side.

Eyes focused on the truck ahead of her thanks to the minimal view of her helmet, Winter kept her grip steady on the handles of the motorcycle, trying to make sure she didn't suddenly crash from a twitch of her wrist.

"How's the driving going, Winter? Still think it's a death trap?" Robin asked curiously, speeding up a bit to meet her eye to eye.

Hunching bit closer to the controls, Winter kept her eyes straight ahead. "It's...going okay, but I still feel like this is a disaster of an idea."

"Don't worry. I didn't know how to use one of these things when I first got on either. You're not going to be a disaster. Hm..." Robin said, only to trail off in thought.

"What? Is something wrong, Robin?" Winter asked, feeling comfortable enough to take her eyes away from the road to look at Robin real quick.

"I was just thinking, if dislike is the opposite of like, is disaster the opposite of aster?" The detective asked, a real sense of curiosity in his voice. "You know," Robin spoke as he zoomed in between Winter and Superboy to make his point. "See? Instead of things going wrong, they go right."

"If I remember my flower terminology correctly, the word aster the name of a flower of the asteraceae family, which is one of one hundred and eighty species." She spoke in a matter of fact tone.

Silence becoming her response, Winter looked back over to Robin, the boy staring at her with what she guessed was a confused expression beneath his helmet and mask.

"How do you know that?" Robin asked confused.

 _Because my father demanded I know just about anything topical and ladylike for my reputation as a Freya?_

Feeling like she was being put on the spot, Winter turned back to the road, careful to hold her tongue and choose her next words carefully. "I-It's just something I know, okay? There's nothing wrong with knowing about flowers."

"Okay, if you say so." Robin said, smiling as if he was hiding something before turning to Superboy. "Flower or not, looks like somebody here isn't feeling the aster. What's up?"

"Canary," Superboy muttered, his anger clear despite the roaring of the bike's engines. "What business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?"

Winter frowned at the question, the ice user scooting her bike somewhat to get closer to the conversation. Now that Superboy had time to simmer down, perhaps he'd be more willing to open up? His issue with Canary was fresh, but whatever happened before was still gnawing at him deep inside. If they could get to the problem with Canary, they surely could solve whatever had happened in Metropolis.

 _Just ease into it. Don_ _'_ _t force him to talk._

"Superboy, super strength is helpful, but you can't always rely on it." Winter spoke up, jumping into the conversation in a calm tone.

"Yeah. Taking down strong bad guys is a part of the gig. Black Canary learned the hard. Same with Batman and...well, me." Robin added, putting his own two cents into the discussion.

Their words traveling to his ears, Superboy only scowled back, his eyes narrowing further on the road ahead; almost as if he was having trouble registering their opinions.

The anxiety on his face bothering her, Winter continued. "Black Canary was only trying to help you. I'm the same way, just like you. I've got powers, but I know I can't always rely on them in a fight; which is why I listen to my mentor and anybody else who gives me advice."

"Yeah, sure. Advice." Superboy answered, sarcastic in tone as he kept his sight on the road. "The only reason your fine with it is because your used to doing whatever someone orders you to do."

For a moment, Winter wasn't sure if she had heard Superboy right. But slowly as her memories replayed the words he'd spoken to her, the ice user felt the grip on her bike handles loosen, her body feeling rigid in place as shock made her eyes widen at Superboy.

 _Is...Is he talking about my father and I?_

Her voice caught against a lump in her throat as Superboy ignored her and Robin to speed off, Winter suddenly jerked a bit in response, making the bike swerve a bit on the road and nearly veer off course.

"Wow, wow!" Reacting thanks to the long time training from Batman, Robin quickly shifted towards Winter and reached out a hand to grab Winters right, clutching his own tightly over hers to steady her grip on the steering. "Hey, I got you!"

Taking the help from Robin and realizing her predicament, Samantha shook her head to regain her senses and hastily reached to slam her gloved hand onto the console in front of her, activating the auto pilot of the bike.

An alarm beeping in recognition as the auto pilot took over the controls, Winter gripped hard onto the handles of the vehicle as the bike's tech readjusted her position back to normal, allowing the ice user to lean forward and try to regain her senses.

Breathing in heavily as blood pumped through her veins like crazy and her heart slamming against her chest, Winter grabbed at the visor on her helmet and pulled it upward to allow her to breath in the outside air, the oxygen filling her trembling lungs.

"You okay?" Robin called out to her over the engines roars, masked eyes staring at her with concern as he let go of her hand and gave her some room.

Her body feeling a bit shaken by the accident she nearly got herself into, Winter took in one last deep breath before sitting back up and looking over to Robin, the ice user nodding hastily. "Y-Yeah. I'm...I'm okay. Thank you, Robin."

"No prob. Ice Maiden would kill me if she found out you got into an accident while I was with you." The young hacker said, giving the older girl a smile. "Not to mention we want to keep this mission one big aster."

Hearing Robin using his strange wording again, Winter smiled a bit back. "Aster is a flower." She joked, her voice still a bit shaken. "But you are right about Ice. She's overprotective like a mom."

Smiling, Robin was about to speak up to try and lighten to tense mood further, but shut his mouth when a shadow suddenly flew over him, momentarily blocking the rays of the sun from his form.

Seeing the shadow as well, Winter turned her head upward along with Robin to see what had caused the sudden shift in light. Winter could feel her eyes widen in shock as Robin glared at the source.

"I'm guessing those are robots too?" Winter asked, ice blue eyes settled on small flying contraptions that looked like monkeys. Metal plating and etched with green wires, at least ten robots in a group flew with the help of tiny jetpacks above the heroes, making their way towards their truck.

Never getting an answer, Winter focused in on her comm as it crackled with life, static clearing out as Aqualad called out to the rest of the team.

' _Winter, Robin, Superboy! Our truck is under attack!_ _'_

Realizing the worse had come for the group, Winter steeled herself and narrowed her eyes on the robots and called back on the comm. "I think we're getting hit by the same thing you are! We'll try to get them off us!"

"I _hate_ monkeys!," Superboy growled, anger radiating off him as his eyes settled on the robots.

The robots seemingly ignoring the heroes below, the tiny android flew down to land on the truck carrying the android parts, some clutching tight to the doors while others on top activated lasers to cut into the ceiling.

"They are robot monkeys!" Robin exclaimed, eyes widening in examination of the machinery. "Totally Ivos' tweaked style!" Switching a button on his cycle as his bike roared to life, a small piece of the vehicle broke off and lit up in activation, floating into the air and transforming into a miniature battle drone. "We need to get those things off the truck!"

"Thinking the same thing!" Winter called out, focusing her mind to visualize something light weight. "Robin, try to get those robots off the door! Superboy, activate your bikes' battle mode! We need the extra fire power!" Winter commanded, ice flickering in her hand for a moment before materializing into a small ice rapier.

"No point!" Superboy replied back, not giving Winter a chance to answer before he leaped off his bike and jumped on to the top of the truck.

His bike swerving off the road and crashing through the street, the auto pilot kicked in as Winter moved to the left, narrowly dodging the close encounter and sped the bike up. Her heart once again smashing against her rib cage at the adrenaline pumping in her system, Winter moved her bike closer to the truck and felt cold ice begin to build up inside her.

"Okay. Just have to balance." She muttered, getting up carefully from the seat of her moving bike and jumped off, only to zip in a cold wind of snowflakes as frost step activated. Moving against the friction of the wind resistance and trying to catch up with the truck, Winter gained inches closer to the truck with every once of power she had, her fingertips just barely close to the truck.

"Ah!" A burning pain clutching at her right, Winter felt the familiar sensation of her power backlashing on her as ice began to crawl along her arm. Her concentration broken in the moment, Winter felt frost step disappear around her as she reached out as best she could to grab onto the truck's edge.

Unfortunately, she'd been a few inches too short.

"No!" She screeched, feeling the sensation of gravity weighing down on her as she felt her stomach drop, along with her body as the edge of the truck started to get further form her.

Ready to taste the terrible flavor as asphalt and the pain of a broken bone or two, Winter shut her eyes and was about to give up on getting herself out of this mess...

Suddenly, a grip on her wrist stopped her descent, making the ice user smack hard onto the back door of the moving truck. Gritting her teeth at the mix of pain from the collision and the icy pain covering her arm, Winter held in a wince as she looked up to her savior.

"You might want to time that better next time!" Superboy yelled to Winter, keeping his grip tight around the girls' wrist as he pulled her up, swatting away at the monkey's trying to deter his attention.

Getting pulled up the the edge of the truck with the help of Superboy, Winter grabbed onto the ledge of the truck and helped to pull herself up the rest of the way. Reaching the top of the truck and taking a moment to regain some oxygen, Winter turned to look at Superboy, peeling off her helmet and giving him a nod of appreciation. "Thanks!"

With no more time to spare on talking, Superboy rushed back into the fray, swinging wildly at the robots plaguing the car with animalistic rage.

Readying the ice rapier in hand and leaning into a sword stance, Winter rushed forward and skewered a robot monkey in the air with quick precision, swinging the sword with a thrust to remove the broken robot from the blade. Making another short dash across the truck and stabbing another robot, Winter summoned an array of ice needles and flung them at the robots, some hitting their mark while others dodged and were pushed back from the car.

"Need a hand?" Robin called from behind, making Winter turn her head to see the hacker rush off to slam a few robots with escrima batons. Batting one out of his way and dashing to Winters' side, the two stood back to back as they both knocked and stabbed yet another robot in their way.

"It feels like they keep multiplying. We aren't getting anywhere like this. Is there any way you can somehow hack them? Or short circuit them?" Winter asked, shattering her sword and etching ice over her hands to create gauntlets.

"Not like this! There's too many for me to ignore and I can't do it without some of their tech! There's not enough-"

"Argh!"

Jolting at the cry from Superboy, Winter jerked her head back to look over to Superboy, the clone hunched over and covering his eyes in pain. Eyes wide in confusion, Winter moved her gaze to a nearby monkey robot, its strange lifeless eyes glowing a sinister red.

"You stupid robots!" Winter cried out, anger radiating in her voice as she rushed over and swung a ice covered fist at the bucket of bolts. Slamming hard into the truck and falling into a lifeless heap on the street below. Another one of the nuisances out oft he way, Winter rushed over to the hunched for of Superboy, the ice user reaching a hand out to help her comrade. "Superboy, let me see. I can try to-"

"I don't need your help!" Superboy yelled, swatting the ice users' hand away and standing up in a haste, straining his eyes open as best he could at an attempt to see.

A small cry making its way out of her throat as she clutched her aching hand, Winter stared up at the enraged Superboy with worry, the clone moving back to swing widely at any robots that were unlucky enough to get in his way.

"S-Superboy, you need to calm down!" Winter exclaimed, trying to get the boy to listen to her like the leader she was.

Like the leader she was _trying_ to be.

"Super-agh!" Winter cried out, losing her footing and falling over as a large explosion rocked the truck. Hitting the floor fo the truck with a hard thud, the ice user gripped the truck as best she could as the truck suddenly twisted and began to swerve on the road.

Opening her eyes to take in the sight before her, the ice user spotted the form of Robin also clutching the to swerving truck for dear life. Moving her gaze again to see Superboy doing the same but still attacking robots that were outside, Winter moved her eyes one more time and felt her blood run cold at the sight of the strange monkey robots flying off.

With the android parts in hand!

"No!" She cried out, clambering to her feet in an attempt to go after the robots. However as much as she wanted to, the rational part fo her made her glue her feet to the ground.

 _No! There isn_ _'_ _t time! We need to get off this thing!_

Taking a wobbling step on the truck, Winter carefully balanced herself and rushed over to Robin, helping to pull the Boy Wonder to his feet. The two trying to fix their balancing act, Winter motioned Robin to the front of the car.

"Get the driver! I'll get Superboy!" Winter yelled over the sound of screeching metal.

"On it!" Robin yelled back, reaching to grab a grappling hook and shot himself towards the front of the car.

Robin's job being done, Winter rushed over to the center of the car, the form of Superboy trying to blindly fight off a leftover monkey robot that lingered. Taking another swing with her ice gauntlet, the robot exploded into pieces as Winter reached out to grab Superboy by the waist.

"We're getting out of here! Hang on!" She called to Superboy, giving him no time to answer before she activated her frost step and jumped off into a flurry of wind. Flying through the air and moving far away from the crashing car, Winter deactivated the power yet again and crashed hard onto the street, both her and Superboy rolling on the ground with a heavy thud as the sound of the car crashing was heard in the distance.

A heavy thud heard across the other side of the road, Winter gritted her teeth in pain and sat up from the ground to see Robin rubbing his sore head with the driver beside him, unconscious.

"Robin! Are you okay?" Winter called, rubbing her sore arm and getting up to her feet.

"Yeah! Could be worse!" Robin called back, climbing up to his own feet and cracking a sore out of his neck. "Did they get em?"

"If you mean the parts, yeah." Winter answered bitterly, eyes glaring at the dirt ground below. "Whoever made those things wanted these parts. They hit both of our targets without being tricked by the decoys. They had to have known we were carrying them."

"Or they just knew what was inside." Robin suggested, heading over to where Winter stood and met the secondary leader. "We got to rendezvous with Superboy and the others. Compare notes."

"Yeah we...wait, Superboy? But he's-" Not understanding what Robin meant, Winter turned back to show Superboy was with her, but stared shocked at the sight of the super clone no longer where they'd landed. "Wha?! W-Where did he-"

"Raagh!"

The familiar cry of Superboy ringing through the air, Winter and Robin turned to see the form of Superboy jump high into the air, making his way over the remains of the broken truck and headed in an unknown direction.

"S-Superboy!" Winter yelled, trying to get the boys' attention.

"Where does he think he's going? And without us!?" Robin exclaimed, trying to keep his eyes on the retreating boy.

Knowing she would never catch up with him, Winter reached for her comm link and activated it to Superboys' channel. "Superboy! What are you doing?"

' _I_ _'_ _m going after the cargo!_ _'_ He exclaimed angrily.

Fingers pressing harder on the comm link in frustration, Winter grit her teeth together. "Not without the rest of us. We're a team. We can help you." She exclaimed.

Her left hand shaking as she tightened it into a fist, Winter turned to look into the direction Superboy had rushed into. "As your leader I order you to come back!"

' _I don_ _'_ _t need your help!_ _'_

The last words spoken by Superboy, Winter heard sudden screech through the comm before nothing but silence remained. Eyes widening at the sudden quiet from the comm, Winter pressed on the comm link again.

"Superboy? Superboy!?" Winter yelled through the comm, trying to get the clone to answer her.

No answer came back to her.

"I think...he ditched his comm." Robin spoke up, disappointment clear in his voice. Sighing, Robin looked up to Winter, the ice user still staring out into the distance where Superboy had gone off to. "I'm guessing neither of us are feeling the aster,?"

Her hand falling from her ear and lazily hanging at her side, Winter looked out at the orange sky courtesy of the setting sun. The smell of smoke, fire, and burning rubber still hanging in the air, Winter squeezed her hands into tight fists before letting out a heavy sigh, not even trying to answer Robin.

She said she could handle this.

This was her first mission as a leader and she was already screwing up.

The cargo that contained an extremely dangerous android had been stolen.

Superboy...didn't even want her help. Didn't even try to listen to her despite being team leader.

" _ **The only reason your fine with it is because your used to doing whatever someone orders you to do.**_ _ **"**_

Frustrated, Winter pulled her hair out of its bun and let her long white locks flow to her back. Gathering her bundles of hair and twisting it into its familiar side ponytail, Winter huffed and turned started digging into her suit pocket.

"What're you doing?" Robin asked curiously, watching the usually composed heroine fidget around silently.

"Trying to do a better job as a leader. I'm not letting this end in failure." She answered, confidence wavering in her voice as she reached up to activate her comm link and pulled out her GPS device.

"Aqualad, our were pieces were stolen and Superboy went off on his own. I couldn't stop him. Rendezvous at our location. We need to pool our information together and solve this." Winter spoke, her one sided conversation to Aqualad ended as she shut off her comm link.

Watching as the heroine began to make preparations for a mostly full team mate up, Robin decided to speak up. "So, what do we do now?"

Placing the GPS back into her pocket and shattering a few stray bits of ice off her arm, Winter turned her head to look at Robin, a strong look of determination he wasn't used to seeing on her face.

The kind of look someone had when they weren't messing around.

"We fix this mess."

* * *

And there is the first part! I'm so sorry this took so long to get out for everyone who's been waiting. My midterms for most of my classes were just announced and I'm swamped. I only wrote this now because I got distracted when i shouldn't have been.

But hey, new chapter for you guys!

I don't know when the next one will arrive. Hopefully when school settles down a bit and I get some free time again, then I'll get to work on it and get the rest out.

But I feel so bad, though. Samantha is trying so hard to be a good friend to Conner and give him space, but now it's backfiring and he's not working with the team and he's pointed out how much of a follower she is rather than a leader, whether unintentional or not.

Let's hope the team can pull themselves together before Amazo blows something up.

Until then, everyone have a good day/night! X3

Next Chapter: Schooled Pt. 2


	14. Schooled Pt 2

Hi everyone! Sorry this took so long to release but college finals came first. Thankfully there is no need to worry about me because I ended up passing ALL of my classes! Three A's and two B's, so now I'm at a 3.0 GPA. Which I think is a good thing.

I'm sorry I couldn't get this out sooner. Honestly this was almost ready for Christmas Eve or Day, but I had to help my parents with things and i ended up taking a shift at work to help out, so that stalled some things. And now I have the flu! It's not going well so far. But it'll get better next year.

Probably. XP

Oh, and a shout out to artist Fishiebug/ Fibug for the new cover art fo the story. I got it commissioned months ago during school and it finally was finished. Now Winter is on the cover and looks super cool! (No pun intended!) Maybe I'll ask for another one of just normal Samantha Freya kicking back and being fancy. So check em out on twitter. They're awesome! XD

Anyways, here is part 2 of Schooled and I hope you all enjoy it. Please read and review if you can and give some feedback. Since I was gone for so long and may be a bit rusty, some clarity on how things are going from you guys would be appreciated. :3

* * *

Broken metal. Burning rubber. Smoke raining down to the street. The familiar smells of battle wafted through the air of Litchfield County as Winter looked across at the wreckage of their truck, the transportation once in pristine condition hours before now reduced to rubble and scrap.

It was a common sight in her line of work, but this particular sight grated at her nerves, continuously reminding her of the teams' poor situation.

A situation that wouldn't have happened if she'd been more prepared. Took into account what kind of threat they may have been up against. The mindset Superboy had during the entire day disrupting the team work of their group. Being more supportive and leader-like.

 **"** _ **We fix this mess."**_

She remembered saying that, but how was she supposed to fix it?

As hopeful as she had been, no ideas had popped up for the graceful ice user besides _don't mess up further_.

"Aqualad, how far are you and the rest of our team from our location?" Winter asked, clasping her comm link closer to her ear to hear, static clicking through. She kept her voice as level and calm as she could, hoping to hide any anxiety hoping to peek its head out from her own words.

" _Still ways away. We won't be able to rendezvous in time with you. I'll send Kid to meet up with for added support. Have you found any leads on where the parts are heading?"_ Aqualad asked back.

Ice blue eyes drifting from the street to Robin, who had peeled way his biking outfit to return to his usual Robin uniform, Winter felt some of the nervous tension built inside her disappear for a moment as relief eased her shoulders. "Robin's working on something. The robots that attacked us have their own GPS, so he's working to reroute it to track them."

"I got it!" The Boy Wonder exclaimed from afar, looking back at Winter and giving her a confident thumbs up.

A small ray of hope shining through the disaster of their day, Winter gave her own thumbs up to the hacker and smiled a bit. "Never mind. Robins' got it. We'll send coordinates to where the cargo is headed to your GPS. Just have Kid meet us on the way."

" _Understood. Good luck."_ Aqualad spoke before the comm link cut off.

Taking in a deep breath to ground herself, Winter walked back over to Robins' side as he typed away at his holographic keyboard, coordinates blinking about on his screen. "How's it going? Can you spot where they're headed?"

"Just about. It looks like both sets of parts are converging...in Gotham City? That far south?" Robin questioned, eyes blinking at the screen to be sure he had not read anything wrong.

"That is far, but its' correct. That's where they're headed." Winter confirmed as she leaned in to look at the electronic map. "If we step on it, we can try to catch up to whatever location they're headed to before they're reassembled."

The two heroes strapping themselves onto their bikes and placing the necessary gear on, both revved their engines to life before zooming down the empty road of Litchfield, the surroundings beginning to disappear as the sun behind them set behind the hills of the desert county.

The only sounds that occupied the long highway was the matching pair of engines from the two heroes bikes, riding side by side through the ever darkening desert with each passing second. Now that there was some time to relax and assess the situation before they got close, Winter needed to come up with a plan.

 _But how? Somehow those...things knew we had the parts. They took them without much of a fight against all of us and we've barley scratched the surface to who wants them or why besides a dead man. Not to mention..._

Superboy had run off, overcome by his anger yet again.

 _Yet it wasn't like other times. Or really the anger was there but it wasn't Cadmus that was setting him off. It was a mix of his disagreement with Black Canary, but something else in Metropolis. Everyone including me could see it and still he didn't try to talk to any of us._

A feeling of being punched in the gut hit Winter, making her grip on her bike handles grow tighter.

Not even her. The leader of the team. His team mate.

His friend.

"You look like you aren't feeling much of the aster anymore."

Turning her head at the sudden inclusion of a different voice besides her own thoughts, Winter spotted the Boy Wonder now a bit closer than before to her own bike, looking to her with a concerned look.

Or as best as she could describe it as given his eyes were covered from her view. But she knew Robin well enough to know when he was worried.

"You're thinking about Superboy." Robin stated, making Winter frown a little.

It wasn't that hard to guess, was it _?_

"Only...a bit." Winter muttered hesitantly, trying to sound as calm and reasonable as she could. If only to hide the truth far better than before.

But the younger detective was having none of it. Especially when an eyebrow rose at her response, a questionable look sculpting the Boy Wonders' face.

Shoulders hunching against her, Winter turned back to look at the road and away from her all knowing team mate. "Okay, a lot. Superboy has been acting far too rash today. Picking fights with Black Canary, cutting himself off from the rest of us, not following orders? What is he thinking?"

"Have you met him?" Robin asked with a light hearted tone. Just as those words left his lips, Robin settled back to focusing on the road as his features morphed to gain a more hardened look. "My guess is he's dealing with some stuff that happened in Metropolis today. If he doesn't want to tell us, he doesn't have to; but I can see your point about the anger thing. Kind of brings more disaster than aster."

"But it's not just that," Winter urged, shaking her head at the explanation of Superboys' behavior. "I..." Winter shut her mouth for a moment, not sure if she wanted to utter her next few words; uncertain if it would be more embarrassing than relieving for her.

If she hid her next words from Robin though, was she any better than the way Superboy was acting? Besides, it wasn't that embarrassing to talk about.

"Superboy and I hung out a while ago. We talked and I said that I...I mean _we_ would be there for him if he needed to talk. The team. _Anything_ , really. So he didn't have to keep holding in his emotions and let them build. It's not healthy. For the team or himself." Winter explained, her grip loosening and her bike slowing down little by little.

Robin nodded, speeding up a bit to stick close to the ice user. "I get it. So that's what's bothering you?"

 _If only_.

There was a little more she wanted to admit, but Winter couldn't be very sure if doing so was appropriate for the moment. Superboys' off-hand comment earlier still weighed on her mind; a hit to the gut if there ever was one from just words alone.

" _ **The only reason you're okay with it is because you're used to doing whatever someone tells you."**_

Feeling frustrated, she bit her lower lip to stop herself from saying anything about it. Winter knew far better now than to take Superboys' anger induced insults seriously, but it didn't mean it hurt her no less.

"I...think so," Winter answered with a shrug. "I am disappointed that he was unwilling to talk to any of us. Especially since he seems really distracted with whatever happened. But I get it. I can't expect him to just open up to us so easily. I'm just worried-"

"About him? That this'll keep happening?" Robin asked, finishing her thought for her.

 _He hit it right on the mark. He's not Batman's partner for nothing._

Eyes narrowing on the street ahead of her, Winter turned to look over to the younger detective as the words from her mentor earlier left her lips. "Robin, do you think it's wrong to worry about a friend?"

The familiar look of confusion popping back up on the young detectives' face, Robin just shrugged his shoulders before returning a smile. "Wouldn't be much of a friend if you didn't worry about them. If it helps though, just try to give him some space. I'm sure Superboy will understand it on his own with enough time. Just like how he learned not to always yell at people. He'll apologize for what he said to you later, too." Robin answered, giving his honest opinion on the matter.

"Yeah," Winter replied, letting the words sink into her system. "I suppose I'm pretty obvious to read, aren't I?" She asked in a slight joking tone, a small chuckle escaping her lips to lighten the mood.

"Uhh...Yeah. You should work on that." Robin commented with his own smile. "Oh, and by the way," Robin spoke, making Winter shift her gaze to the detective. "I'm sure Aqualad wouldn't be too upset if you told him Superboy ran off on his own. He knows you're trying your best."

Eyes stuck on the younger hero beside her, Winter simply nodded back, not quite sure how to respond to the wise and honest words of the younger hero. She had hoped the little missed communication about Superboys' whereabouts to Aqualad and the others might have been forgotten by the younger hero, but it looked like he truly did take in every detail as his mentor did.

Instead of saying anything else, ice blue eyes looked back to the road ahead of them, hoping to spot their destination growing ever so closer.

She would rather not talk about that little miscommunication. For now.

* * *

The sky outside and the world around them had become pitch black by the time Kid Flash had arrived, dressed in his hero uniform rather than his previous bike suit. Robin had gotten a kick out of it, joking about how the two had the same idea to switch out their wardrobe.

She'd gotten a question or another from Kid Flash asking where Superboy was. Unsure of how she wanted to answer it, she simply stated that he'd "gone ahead without them"; a sentence worded with enough fluidity that gave the speedster a chance to come up with his own idea of how that had exactly happened.

Winter didn't jump much into the conversation after that, eyes focused on looking between the road and the GPS signal the group was still following. When it sprung back to life even more, the ice user frowned and called out to the chatty heroes.

"Hey! The parts are moving again! Do either of you guys know where this location is?" Winter asked, not particularly knowledgeable with the geography of Gotham City.

Robin being the only one with a map looked though the checkpoints intensely, masked eyes scanning left to right to track the parts and designate a location. When his eyes widened a bit in surprise, Kid Flash looked at the detective curiously.

"Dude, you find out where they went?"

"Yeah," Robin replied, shock rattling his voice. "They're at my-I mean, Gotham Academy!" The detective called out.

The slip of the tongue almost unobtainable by some, Winter rose a brow in confusion at the very quick word change, but shrugged it off to focus on the road ahead, the lights of Gotham City coming into view. Now that there was a location to go to, they'd really need to speed up and make it before it moved again.

If not only to stop the parts from being put together, at least to find Superboy and regroup.

"Let's not waste anymore time! We don't know how fast those parts can move!" Winter called to the two heroes beside her, revving the engine of her bike and kicking the vehicle into a faster speed.

It didn't take long for Robin and Kid Flash to do the same, the two increasing their own speed as the group drove and ran through the dark streets of Gotham, almost deadly silent despite the reputation of the city's night life. Twisting and turning through messy streets for shortcuts suggested by Robin, the three finally skidded and stopped to a halt at the entrance of Gotham Academy.

Let's just say at the moment, it wasn't looking quite like the academy Winter had pictured in her head.

Debris was left astray across the campus entrance of the pristine academy, a wall with a gapping hole on the far left. The smell of smoke and fire that used to fill Winters' senses back in Litchfield had returned, only this time added by the smell of broken stone and dirt, grass torn and some of the Earth ripped open from from whatever force had crashed against it.

"Wow. Looks like one heck of a party rolled in here." Kid Flash commented, adjusting his goggles back on his head to inspect the damage with his own eyes. "Guess school might be out for a while."

"Yeah. Goodie." Robin muttered back, a bit less enthusiastic as his usual banter with Kid Flash went as the detective hopped off his bike and also stared at the debris.

"We can worry about the damage later," Winter spoke, getting off her bike and kicking the stand up to leave the bike in place. "Let's find those parts. If we find them, we'll surely find Superboy."

 ***BOOM***

The explosive sound of wood and metal crashing from within the academy echoing in the air to the heroes ears, the three all turned their heads to the broken school, only to look back at one another and nod in agreement.

"Let's go!" Winter commanded, heading the charge by rushing in first into the battlefield of a school; Robin and Kid Flash following close behind.

Moving around broken pieces of concrete and dry wall from the broken results of a fight, the team ran through the still standing halls of the school towards the noises coming rom deep within. Reaching the end of the line and spotting the sign pointing out the gymnasium of the academy, windows lining the sides to show the inside of a basketball court...

And three figures within; one which Winter recognized in a heartbeat!

"Superboys' in there! Looks like he's fighting someone!" Winter called, throwing a ray of ice on the floor and jumped up to land on the frozen ice way, skating at a faster pace towards the room. "Kid, rush in there and try to divert attention of the android! Robin, gather any electromagnetic weapons you have! We've got to disable that thing and fast!"

"Let's go save Supeys' butt." Kid joked, placing his goggles back on and disappeared in a flash beside the two fellow heroes, a streak of yellow and red rushing past them and through the doors of the gymnasium.

"Ready to take a super powered android down?" Robin asked through quick breaths, pulling out batarangs as he followed behind Winter.

A white glow of sparking between Winters' closed knuckles, the light within constructed itself into thin streaks and exploded to form thin ice needles between each gap between her fingers; the edges sharp as knives and just as ready to strike.

"As much as I'll ever be to fight one. We can't underestimate this thing." Winter replied back, skating towards the door at a controlled, yet frantic pace. Throwing her arm outwards in a quick slash of air in front of her, Winter called upon a gust of icy wind to rush ahead towards the doors of the gymnasium. The force of the wind a powerful one, the doors of the room slammed back and connected with the walls of the gym, opening the entryway for the two heroes to head inside.

And just like the campus of the academy, the gymnasium had also seen far better days.

But there would be more time to assess the damages after the team had finished taking down a killer android.

"Argh!" The loud yell of Kid Flash reverberating against the walls of the room, the ice user turned her head towards the sight of the speedster getting punched straight in the gut and knocked off his feet, flying a few feet away until thrashing hard onto the gym floor with a thud.

"KF!" Robin yelled, rushing in to check on his friend and help defend the speedster from another attack.

Noticing the sight of Kid Flashs' crash landing, Winter scanned the room for any sight of Superboy, only to finally spot the hero also trying to recover from what appeared to be a strong hit from the android. The situation already not heading in their favor, Winter decided for now that the plan to regroup with Superboy first was going to have to go on the back burner for the moment.

"Get him back on his feet! I'll try to distract it!" Winter ordered, throwing more ice on the floor to boost her speed towards the large automaton. Flicking numerous ice needles towards her opponent with practiced precision, Winter gritted her teeth at the sight of each projectile exploding into shards on impact from the sheer force alone.

Maybe it was a bit obvious little ice needles would not have much of an affect on a body made of metal.

"Lets try something a little harder!" Discarding her needles and holding her arm out in front of her, Winter confused the chill of ice to run around her arm, the light bending around her limb to form a clasp as the rest morphed into a large circular shape. Ice forming seconds after to create a shield, the ice user maneuvered and pressed hard on her legs to gain speed towards the large robot, bending her arm which was ready to strike.

"Don't get close!" Superboys' voice cried from the other end of the room.

"What?" Winter replied back, turning her head back a bit over her shoulder to try and spot the super powered teen for more clarification. Why couldn't she-

"Access: Superman."

A lifeless, robotic voice leaving the metal lips of the large humanoid android, Winter was already swinging her shield wielding arm towards her enemy by the time Superboy had called out to her. Unable to retract her action, the ice user gasped in shock when her shield clashed against the metal skin of the android, the weapon exploding into shards from the connection alone. Stuck in momentary shock and a sting of pain radiating through her arm from the impact, another pain clutched her arm tightly as the android grabbed her with a truly iron grip.

Stopped in her tracks by the android in front of her, Winter wriggled in the grasp of the machine in an attempt to free herself, though with not much luck. Honked off the ground, Winter yelped in pain before being pulled hard to the left and thrown across the room like a rag doll.

Superboy being the only person on the side of the room Winter had been thrown towards, the anger proved teen took the initiative to grab the sub leader, reaching his arms out and bracing himself as Winter collided hard into his arms and chest, the force causing his boots to skid a bit on the basketball court.

"Told you." Superboy grunted out, adjusting himself back into a better standing position and helping Winter back to her feet.

Rustling a bit of her hair out of her face, the ice user huffed and lightly glared back. "I got it." Fidgeting out of the clones' grasp, Winter landed back on her feet and rubbed the soreness on her left wrist, the burning being quite the irritating handicap for the battle. Eyes drifting from her arm and back to Superboy, Winter muttered quietly. "Thank you for catching me."

His own eyes sticking to the petite ice user, Superboy took his gaze away to look back at the android staring emotionless lay back at them and answered stoically, "No problem."

"Hm? I didn't think the rest of you would get here so soon."

Letting the pain in her wrist subside, Winter shifted her gaze towards the bleachers to find the source. An older short man dressed in simple attire, their demeanor held nothing but a mix of prideful contempt and annoyance on their face. One Winter had seen many times on the news and old newspaper clippings shown to her by Ice Maiden. The name that matched the face was as clear as day.

"Dr. Ivo. I see you've decided to crawl out of whatever gutter you hid yourself in." Winter mocked the scientist, sights set on the once thought dead man.

"Ah, if it isn't the sidekick of Ice Maiden. And you brought the Batman's little bird and Flash's blabbermouth speedster as well." The doctor added, sitting comfortably in his seat on the bleachers alongside his monkey-esque robots. "While I would love to have a chat with you, I think you're friends over there could use some help. Don't you think?" The criminal professor asked cheerily, pointing a finger to the other side of the room.

"Access: Martian Manhunter."

Another familiar call from Amazo activating the catalog of powers in their possession, Winter hastily turned to where Ivo was pointing at and saw Robin get smacked with the elongated arm of Amazo, the Boy Wonder thankfully caught by Kid Flash before any serious fall could damage the boy further.

Gritting her teeth, Winter glared at Ivo before looking back to Superboy, motioning him to follow her. "C'mon! I need your help with this, Superboy."

A hard, stern look turning to look back at her, Superboy said nothing for a few seconds until his eyes narrowed into a hard glare and nodded, eyes focused on Amazo up ahead. "Fine."

A bit thankful she wasn't getting as much protest as earlier that day, Winter there ice upon the floor and skated toward the large, metal form of Amazo, the glow of her powers appearing in the palms of her hands. "Let's see if you can do much damage when you're an iceberg!"

Pointing her hands out in front of her towards Amazo, Winter maneuvered her body with the use of her flexible muscles to dodge a punch form the android, ice powers sparking in her hands until a ray of ice shot out in a beam of chilling white energy.

"Access: Martian Manhunter."

The alien power of Martian Manhunter manifesting through Amazos' programming, their body became transparent, allowing the ray of ice to shoot straight through the android without leaving any damage on them.

Superboy going right after Winter with his own rush attack, the clone roared with power as he swung towards the android, their body now solid once again to take hits. For Amazo, taking a minor hit was nothing, as just as Superboys' fist hit its face, Amazo swung a flexible arm in an arc towards Superboy, knocking the clone back into the low side of the bleachers.

Back on his feet, Robin took another crack a the bucket of bolts with more batarangs in hand. Leaping in the air to gain higher ground and better aim, the younger hero threw the projectiles with careful precision to Amazos' head.

"Access: Captain Atom."

Rather than copy the strength of the famed hero, Amazo switched its method as their hand began to grow a gold light from within, signaling a charge up attack. Already knowing what was about to come, Robin took a few steps back and began to rush out of the blast zone, only to be picked up by Kid Flash and pulled out of the way before the ray collided where he'd once stood, leaving a pile of smoke, fire and ash in its spot.

"Robin, Kid! Are you okay!?" Winter exclaimed in concern, watching the blurry two heroes take cover by some bleachers away from Amazo.

"We're good! This thing isn't making it easy though!" Kid Flash yelled back, peeking his head around the corner of the heroes cover to keep his sights on the android.

The angry growl of Superboy resounded in the room, the clone taking the moment to rush the android yet again in a bout of strength. Throwing a punch towards the android, the large metal body moved an arm up to block it, the other grabbing the teen by the arm and throwing him like trash into the nearby bleachers.

"Access: Black Canary." Amazo spoke, staring back at the crumpled form of Superboy trying to remove himself from the debris.

A tense feeling radiating through her body at the idea of Amazo rushing after the downed clone again, an idea popped in her mind as Winter waved to Robin to get his attention. "Robin, distract Amazo!"

Not wasting time asking any questions to the sub leader, Robin nodded form his hiding spot and took out a pellet bomb and rushed out back onto the basketball court, chucking the device towards Amazo. "Winter, go!"

"Access: Red Tornado."

The air in the room suddenly gaining energy was it whipped and blasted from the force of Amazos' activation, red winds surrounded the android like a shield, preoccupying his time as the powers chucked the bomb off to the side, exploding on the unintended target of a nearby wall.

Activating her powers in the few seconds Amazo was taking care of Robins' bomb, Winter breathed out a chilling breath and stared down at her target, activating her frost stop and taking a single step before disappearing in the flurry of cold wind and snowflakes. Changing into a rushing wind of ice and cold, Winter sped in a blur towards the android ready to strike with a stinging touch in the hopes to freezing some sort of circuit within...

But didn't expect so quickly for the android to turn back on her! And its eyes were glowing!

"Access: Amazo."

Eyes widening, Winter felt the weight of confusion fall on her shoulders at the strange words leaving the androids' mouth, but ignored it moments after to see the gap between her and the robot close from her proximity. Reaching her hand out towards Amazos' chest, Winter reappeared in an explosion of snowflakes just inches between the android, ready to spread her ice as fast as she could with the time she had.

"Access: Ice Maiden."

Already stuck in mid attack, Winter couldn't recover to block the counter from the android. Eyes widening in shock at the familiar name drop of her mentor, all Winter could do was brace her body as best she could when Amazos' hand began to glow an icy white and swung a heavy punch towards her chest.

The attack connecting hard into her stomach, Winter flew back from the force and slid hard on the basketball court, gasping from the mix of pain and a burning sensation on her stomach. Reaching a hand up to her check the wound for anything serious, the ice user gasped at seeing shards of ice running across her uniform, along with the tenderness of a freshly made bruise underneath.

"Ugh. I just healed from bruising there." Winter groaned out, clutching a hand on her chest and slowly shifted her body to sit up from the ground.

"Hey, bucket of bolts!" Kid Flash yelled, speeding towards the android with energy powered by anger. "You mess with us and you mess with all of us!" The speedster yelled, goggled eyes glaring down the large metal form he headed towards.

Not phased by the banter at all, Amazo turned to look at the blur of teenage speed coming towards it with angry force. Eyes glowing, Amazo activated yet another power.

"Access: Winter."

"Wha-" Kid Flash felt of rush of shock run through his head, not sure if he'd heard the robot correctly. Not having time to process the words, Kid Flash blinked for just a moment, but found the android was now gone. "Where did he-"

"KF! Move!" Robin yelled out in warning.

The cry far too late, Kid Flash tried to move his feet in a different direction, but found...he couldn't!? Seconds after realizing this a stinging cold pain covered his ankles and feet, making the speedster's legs weaken from the sting. Somehow it felt...familiar?

"What the-" Adjusting his sight to check the ground, Kid Flash stared wide eyed at a long trail of ice ahead of him where Amazo once stood, the trail running past him as it froze his feet to the ground. "How did it-"

"Access: Superman."

Whipping his head back at the sound of Amazo close by, Kid Flash once feeling a single stinging pain in his feet now felt it disappear, his nerves now focusing on the radiating pain that was wrapped around his body and crushing him like a twig.

"Ahh!" Kid Flash screamed in pain, arms trying hard to flail out of Amazo's iron grip.

"Let go of him!" Fighting through the stinging pain on her stomach and the anger that was bubbling from seeing the android use her own move against one of her team mates, Winter pulled herself up from her fall and outstretched her arm with a ray of ice ready to free her comrade, only to be beat to the punch when a projectile sprung from above.

"Access: Martian Manhunter."

Deactivating the Superman file in his system, Amazo released Kid Flash and disappeared momentarily with transparency to allow the sudden projectile to whizz straight through their form. Lodging hard into the ground beside Robin, the Boy Wonder didn't take much notice of it at the moment and pulled out another batarang. Aiming for the head of the android, Winter followed suit with an ice kunai and launched them forward together.

"Superman."

"Duck!" Winter yelled, seeing the eyes of the android glow as he turned to look at Robin. Shooting off a ray of red energy akin to heat vision, Robin heeded the sub-leaders' warning and leaped out of the way and rolled to the side, escaping a fiery demise.

Sighing in relief at the attack missing, the ice user felt a rush of adrenaline pump through her when Amazo turned to attack her the same way. Throwing a hasty wave of ice on the ground and skating out of the blast zone, Winter skidded to a halt beside the recovering Robin and Kid Flash who'd rushed to his team mates side.

"This robot just keeps using the leagues' powers against us. We can't get a hit on him." Kid Flash complained, wiping beads of sweat off his brow.

"From what I've been seeing, Amazo can't control two powers at once. If we rush at it together it could confuse its programming." Robin suggested, hastily checking the inventory in his belt.

Winter shook her head, ideas and thoughts coming up and sinking away every moment she had a chance to think them through. "But it seems too fast even for us. Electromagnetic attacks won't have any effect if we can't hit its body and it's tough enough to withstand attacks from my ice and Superboys' punches."

"WANNA SEE ME CHANNEL THAT ANGER!?"

"Speak of the devil." Kid Flash said, turning his head along with Robin and Winter to see the super powered clone start on a new rampage, anger seething off their form more prominent than before as he charged at Ivo like an animal. "Great! He's gone ballistic again."

"Amazo! Protect your master! Priority Alpha!" Professor Ivo cried out, stumbling a bit on the way down from the bleachers to get away from the crazed super teen.

Frowning at the sight before her, Winter bit her lower lip at the thought of having to figure out another Superboy rampage during a crucial mission. Yet, when she began noticing how Superboy only seemed to be attacking Ivo this time, it got the ice user' gears turning.

Perhaps...they'd been going around this fight all wrong?

"Maybe not." Robin replied back, a smirk appearing on his face.

Turning to give a knowing look to Robin, Winter nodded and felt her own lips tug into a small smirk. "Robins' right, and I think Superboy has got something."

The fight with Amazo had been going nowhere. Their physical attacks but Superboys' had been useless, projectiles unfazed the robot, and their own patterns had even become copied by the android. It seemed like nothing could get through the robots defenses.

However their attacks would dent a certain professor.

 _If we can just use Ivo long enough to regroup with Superboy, we might be able to come up with a plan to win this._

"Robin, Kid, follow Superboys' lead and distract Amazo and Ivo! I've got an idea." Winter said, ignoring the pain in her stomach and began to sprint back onto the battlefield.

"Sounds like fun. Count me in!" Kid Flash exclaimed, energy boosting back into him. Adjusting his goggles, the speedster headed back into battle, aiming his sights on Professor Ivo as instructed.

"Signal us when you need us! We'll keep em' busy!" Robin added, grabbing a grappling hook and shooting it at the roof to propel hi upwards for higher ground.

Sprinting as fast as her aching legs would take her, Winter neared the end of the basketball court, ignoring the dust and shards of debris on the ground while Superboy pushed himself out of another small crater of broken metal and wood made from an uncoordinated attack of his own. Just about ready to vault himself up off the ground with a strong leap, Winter reached the clones' side and outstretched a hand to stop him.

"Superboy, wait!" Winter called, slowing down to at the teens' side and moving to stop him from heading further into battle. "I think I'v got a plan to stop Amazo from causing anymore damage."

Stopped mid step, Superboy looked away from Professor Ivo and Amazo to look back at the sub leader beside him. "But we can end this quicker if we just take out Ivo." Superboy argued back.

"That may be true, but even if we all focus on him, we'll still have a deadly, working robot on our hands to still take down. We don't know if it'll stop if we get Ivo!" Winter argued as well, trying to get her point across as her team mate, Superboy shifting his gaze from her own. A bit hurt by the avoidance, Winter felt her gaze fall.

" _ **If it helps though, just try to give him some space. I'm sure Superboy will understand it on his own with enough time**_."

Robins' words from their discussion earlier suddenly coming to the forefront of her mind, Winter squeezed her smaller hands into tight fists at her sides, trying to debate the idea of what things she wanted and didn't want to say. There wasn't time to suddenly address this issue or dance around it and she knew that it clearly was not the right time to ask about it.

But even so...She had to say something. If not for Superboy, for herself. To just clear the air somewhat and move past it and focus on the moment rather than the past!

"Look, Superboy," Winter spoke, staring back up at the taller hero. "We all know something is going on with you and I'm not sure if you've meant _everything_ you've said since this day has started, but I'm leader right now with Aqualad not here." She spoke defiantly, trying to keep her voice level. "I'm not saying I have all the answers, but I really need you to stay focused and please listen to me for now, okay?" Winter asked, urging her team mate to look back at her. "We need teamwork to make this happen."

Blue eyes stuck to a nearby wall, Superboy turned back to look at the shorter ice user beside him and gave a nod. It was a quiet response Winter would have wanted more out of it, but it wasn't denial; so she'd be happy with that at least.

"Okay. Just tell me what to do." Superboy said, cracking his knuckles to prepare for the battle plan.

Smiling at some of her words getting through, Winter nodded in agreement.

"Good. Just follow my lead and act when I give the signal." Winter replied with a smirk, winking to the clone as she motioned him to follow her back into the fray.

"Look who's decided to join the fun!" Kid Flash exclaimed, speeding on the court to push the old body of Professor Ivo in a jerking manner.

"Here, Winter! Think fast!" Robin added, moving to grab Ivo's arm and throw the professor towards the sub leader.

"I'm not sorry for this!" Winter yelled with an evil grin, taking this opportunity to let off some steam and kick Ivo as he headed towards her. The force a strong impact on the older man, Ivo flew through the air towards Kid Flash who was ready to play around with the old professor now turned plaything.

"Access: Superman."

Amazo broke up the playful antics of the small team with a resounding hard slam of his metal foot on the basketball court, the force and added power from copying Superman making the four teens wobble and shake from the power; with Kid Flash losing his balance and missing to catch the professor as he landed hard off to the side.

"Robin, joint projectile attack!" Winter called out, readjusting her balance in record time as the icy glow of her powers created a single ice kunai in hand. Robin pulling out th gadget as she'd asked, the two nodded to one another and threw them simultaneously at the android ahead of them to begin the plan.

Hearing the yell from the ice heroine, Amazo turned around to face the projectiles coming towards it, no signs of emotions like fear or uncertainty even crossing its face.

"Access: Martian Manhunter."

Transparency masking over the androids form, the robot became nearly invisible with thin air to protect itself, the frozen kunai and batarang's attack null and void as it passed straight through without a single inch of damage to the androids body.

But that was the plan all along.

"Superboy, punch Amazo through the head now! Hurry!" Winter ordered.

Releasing a battle cry and launching himself with a leap f power into the air, Superboy landed with a hard crash in front of Amazo and swung a strong punch at the transparent robot who realized a new opponent was attacking it.

"Access: Martian Manhunter."

Already too late, Superboy left his arm in place as Amazo activated the Leaguers' powers, shifting back to solid form. The tangible form of Amazo appearing back in the room, the android stood frozen in place with Superboys' arm now stuck straight through its head. The mixture of wires being ripped and circuits being dismantled from the form alone, Amazo began to spark with electricity before the head exploded from malfunction, freeing Superboys arm before lifelessly falling to the ground with a metal thud.

All of the teen heroes taking the sudden halt of battle to catch their breaths, Robin was the first to rush over to Amazos' broken form, dropping to a knee to check for any movement with calculative eyes despite how tired he looked.

"Help me dismantle it, now!" Robin commanded, turning back tot he rest of the team to get their help.

"I almost thought I'd never hear those words." Winter gasped with relief, rushing over to Robin and helping him check for the necessary joint stabilizers to dismantle the robot.

"Dudes, the guy has no head." Kid Flash quipped, adding a bit of sarcasm to his tone at the silly sounding demand.

"Do not take any chances!"

The heroes turning at the familiar voice resounding in the room suddenly, Aqualad and Miss Martian ran or flew in others case into the room, inspecting the mix of damage and the now disabled Amazo on the floor.

"Is everyone alright?" Miss Martian exclaimed, eyes widening at the cuts and bruises marking the four heroes, along with their dirtied up uniforms.

"Fine," Superboy answered for the small team, shrugging off a pain in his shoulder and looking back at Winter and Robin. His features somewhat softening, the clone smiled just a bit. "Feeling the aster."

"The what?" Kid Flash asked, not understanding what Superboy had said.

Robin grinning from ear to ear at the small inside joke, the Boy Wonder went back to focusing on dismantling Amazo with Aqualad, laughing his childish laugh while doing so at Kid Flashs' confusion.

"It's...a flower." Winter answered her team mates' question, though not in the exact way that mirrored the smaller teams joke. Shaking her head at the response, Winter looked back over to Superboy and gave her own smile back. "I'm just glad this whole mess is over with. Anymore time with this android and I would have passed out on the spot." The ice user admitted, shaking her head at the pain that started to emerge on her chest.

"Yeah. Feels like this mission took months to finish." Kid Flash joked, folding his arms back behind his head.

"But it's over now. All we have to do is get Professor Ivo's android dismantled and we'll be all set." Miss Martian spoke cheerily, using her telekinesis to take one of the parts out of its sockets with careful precision.

"Good...Wait, where is Ivo?" Kid Flash asked concerned, now realizing the crucial detail they'd all seemed to have forgotten for a moment.

Brow raised at the question, Winter turned her head back to where she'd last seen Ivo crawling not he floor. "Isn't he..."

Eyes drifting to where she'd last seen the villainous professor, the ice user gritted her teeth at the empty spot, no sight of the infamous scientist to speak of.

"Not here." Superboy spoke with a deadpan tone.

Feeling her legs give out from a mixture of defeat and expended energy from the battle, Winter tirelessly slumped to the ground, groaning at the loose thread in their mission left untied.

"Fantastic."

* * *

 _ **-Mount Justice**  
_

 _ **August 4th, 2010 1:06 EDT** -_

"At the moment the android known as Amazo created by Professor Ivo has now been dismantled and left in the care of STAR Labs." Aqualad spoke, standing beside Winter as the two leaders debriefed Batman, Green Arrow, Ice Maiden, and Black Canary.

Arriving shortly after taking care of the android pieces and the mess at in Gotham, Winter and Aqualad dismissed the team to get a few minutes of rest. Some like Kid Flash needed to bandage some wounds, while others like Superboy just...needed some time to cool off.

Winter really didn't want another yelling match like before to happen again.

Nobody seemed opposed to the idea, so it was up to the two joint leaders to spread out the main details of the mission. Their success, their failures and any other underlying details that may have been...left out by mistake by some ice using heroines about a moody clone ditching them half way through the mission.

"Sadly," Winter continued for Aqualad, "Professor Ivo escaped during the battle. With how much knowledge he has and the unknown amount of safe houses he could be taking refuge in, he's arguably more of a threat than ever. Added by the fact we know he's alive and his tech becoming much stronger and on par with fighting our team and the League, I don't believe Ivo will be faking his death again anytime soon. He seems confident that he'll get away again." The ice user concluded, perishing the thought of creations worse than Amazo coming out of the woodworks.

As if the team needed an opponent stronger than Amazo in their way. The only thing she'd accomplish out of that situation would be a larger headache and stress levels of astronomical proportions. It just meant the team would have to hurry their search in locating the devious professor.

"His escape was due to our shortcomings," Winter spoke up to the heroes, making the group turn their gaze to her. "Will our team be focused on finding the professor and taking him in as intended?" The ice user asked, a bit of uncertainty in her question.

 _I wouldn't let us if I were the League_.

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority." Black Canary announced, eyes drifting from the two leaders to the rest of the team walking back into the room now rested and cleaned of their wounds.

Winter felt her eyes drift downwards as Canary spoke.

 _I knew it._

"The decision is in no way made to reflect your failure. You have all done a wonderful job taking care of the Amazo. We simply...understand that there were some other complications that your team experienced." Martian Manhunter added, crossing his arms over his chest.

Unintentionally looking away from the older mentors, Winter settled her eyes with Aqualads' own stare, only to turn back to look to the person in question that had been the spark for most of those mentioned complications.

The dark blue eyes of Superboy staring straight back at the League, the younger boy of steel made no move to turn his gaze away from any of them, a far contrast from how he'd been acting in their presence earlier that day. There was no snide comment, dry remark, or even a grunt of annoyance that the team was used to hearing when Superboy was put on the spot.

None of the younger heroes making a move to voice their opinion or say anything else, Batman took a step forward to garner their attention. "Complications come with the job. Your ability to handle them _has_ impressed the League."

"The...whole League?" Superboy asked, the tone quiet, yet hopeful as he looked up to Batman for any sign of confirmation.

Batman glanced down to Superboy, "Given time, yes," he explained with a nod. "Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads."

"Of course there is no shame in asking League for help," Ice Maiden said, walking over to stand beside Batman with a helpful smile. "We exist to help others, civilians or other heroes regardless. If some things get too messy for younger heroes, you can ring phone for us anytime. But don't make habit of. Line might be busy." Ice Maiden joked with a hearty laugh.

"Ice," Winter muttered with a shake of her head. "We can take care of ourselves." She said stubbornly.

"It wouldn't matter much anyways. Even if we did need help, you wouldn't even give us the chance to ask." Robin spoke up, making Ice Maiden stop her laughing to look at Batmans' protege. The shorter teen reaching to his utility belt, the detective pulled out the projectile that had saved Kid Flash from a crushing defeat; which happened to be an extremely sharp arrow with a gray body. "Look familiar?" He asked accusingly, handing it to Batman.

"Looks like you guys don't trust us at all!" Kid Flash exclaimed with a scowl on his face.

Being given the arrow by his protege, Batman inspected the weapon before handing it to Green Arrow. "We didn't follow you." He said calmly despite the small bout of tension in the large room, keeping an eye on the younger hero team as Green Arrow pulled out one of his own arrows.

Putting the two side by side for all to see, it was clear after just a second or two from most of the group that the two were in fact not the same arrows at all.

Which in turn made Robin and Kid Flash's eyes widen in a mix of shock and embarrassment.

"And...that's _not_ your arrow." Robin admitted, only for his masked eyes to sparkle with hope. "But that has to mean..."

"Speedy!" Kid Flash exclaimed, finishing his best friends' thought.

"He does have our back after all." Aqualad spoke with relief, smiling along with Robin and Kid Flash at the revelation.

"Who's Speedy?" Miss Martian asked curiously, not understanding why some of the team was getting excited.

"He's...was one of us. The sidekick of Green Arrow before some things happened." Winter explained, drifting over some of the more explicit details she'd rather not remember. "He's solo right now and didn't want to join the team when we offered." She explained with a shrug, walking back to Green Arrow and delicately taking the arrow back and quietly inspecting it.

Keeping her voice down and her own opinions to herself as the rest of her team discussed the new development that now presented itself, Winter felt her fingers slowly roll the arrow between her fingertips, ice blue eyes scanning over the projectile from its body, the material used to make the arrow, to even the sharpness and metal of the tip.

In those spare moments of contemplation, there was a thought that went through her mind. One that she wasn't sure she wanted to voice aloud.

 _This...isn't Speedy's arrow._

Winter knew that for a fact. She'd spent just as much time, maybe even more with Roy since the two knew each other. She'd seen the way he made his arrows, how he made the sharpest details of his projectiles well enough to stab through any surface he could.

The arrow that saved Kid Flash was sharp, but it was only enough to do some minor damage. It could do much if hitting the mark, but from the way it looked it would never be able to pierce stone or steel. Not with the dull point it had.

Not to mention she knew far better to think it was Roy right away. Roy had said so himself just days ago when he'd called her. That he still wouldn't join the team despite some of their efforts to persuade him. She knew just how stubborn he could be. He wouldn't have changed his mind and suddenly turned to help them like this. Or have known where they could have been at that exact moment. So that could only mean very few things.

Roy had actually helped them somehow without being spotted or noticed.

The League did help but were lying about it for some odd reason.

Or...a more uncertain answer.

 _Did someone else save us?_ The white-haired heroine wondered, eyes glued to the arrow in her hands.

But who? How did they find out about their activities in Gotham? How did they have the necessary skills and tools to distract Amazo with a single arrow just as well timed as a trained vigilante? And to not even be sensed or heard by them during the fight? Not to mention why would they have-

"Winter?" Ice Maiden spoke, looking over to her preoccupied protege. "Is something wrong? Face looks fallen."

Eyes snapping away from the arrow in her fingertips to her mentor, Winter pushed her thoughts aside, replacing her calculating expression to a softer, more relaxed one to dissuade her mentors' suspicious. "Oh, it's nothing. Just...surprised I suppose. Speedy seemed very adamant about not being apart of this team." She said calmly, eyes moving from her mentor back to look at the arrow she held.

Could she have been thinking far too much into it? She may have known Roy well enough to know what his equipment looked like, but he could have changed it since she'd last seen him. That was a possibility, but something still nagged at her in the back of her mind.

An eyebrow raising at the answer, Ice Maiden stared back at her once sidekick before shrugging the answer off. "Alright than."

"Pfft! Dude totally has our back. He's just being chill about it." Kid Flash said, walking over and snatching the arrow out of Winters' hands. "Yoink! Souvenir~!"

Scowling at the object snatched from her fingertips, a brow rose on Winter's features as she took the arrow right back. "Wally, you are not making an arrow a souvenir for this mission. Find something else to put on that bookshelf of yours. If this is Speedy's, we should at least return it to him."

"What? Why?" Kid Flash questioned. "The guy's got tons of arrows. He can make due without one of em."

"Wally," Miss Martian piped in, walking over to stand beside Winter. "Shouldn't we return it to him? He did save you after all. The least we can do is give him his arrow back, right?" The Martian asked kindly, showing the smile that Kid Flash couldn't help but fall for.

Unable to resist the sweet charm of the telepath, Kid Flash groaned and shook his head, only to dreamily stare back at Miss Martian. "I can't deny you when you smile like that, M'gann." Green eyes drifting from Miss Martian to Winter, the speedster rolled his eyes. "Fine. You can give it back. I'll find something else."

"Thank you. I am sure Speedy will appreciate it." Winter concluded, her gaze now back to the mystery arrow in her possession.

Now that she had it, this would be a good opportunity to get to the bottom of this. She would let the team in on the thought, but she didn't want to make waves of assumptions and uncertainties. Heaven only knew just how terrible her worrying and what if's caused unneeded stress to her friends.

She would wait for now. At least until she was certain she had the answers she needed.

"I am guessing you snatched that from Kid." Aqualad spoke up, walking over to Winter with a knowing smile.

Seeing her Atlantean ally poke fun at the object in her hands, Winter rolled her eyes. "You know Wally. He gets pretty excited to put things on that bookshelf of his. Unless his piling trash is going to fill the room first."

Chuckling at the jab, Aqualad shook his head. "I am sure he would have given it up if you asked. Two or three more times."

"Maybe even more." Winter joked further, shaking her head at the thought. The danger of the mission long over and the high strung stress a tad bit gone, the ice user looked to her fellow leader and frowned, trying to find her courage. "Aqualad, I need to apologize."

The jovial mood now gone, Aqualad's questionable gaze fell on Winter. "How so?"

"I," Fingers tapping gently on the arrow in her hand, Winter felt her eyes drift away from the Atlantean's staring, but forced her eyes to go back to his. "I did not admit to Superboy leaving us behind during the mission. Even after I said I would call for you if I needed help, I didn't even think about trying. I just...hid it from you and the others."

The admission a solemn one, Aqualad made no attempt to cut her off. Instead, her posed another question. "May I ask why?"

"I guess it was embarrassment ? Or shame?" Winter pondered, trying to figure out the reason herself. "I was worried that it reflected poorly on my skills as a leader. I didn't want to admit I couldn't handle it, I suppose." She answered, awkwardly looking away from her team mate.

"Winter," Aqualad spoke. "There is no shame in feeling embarrassed about failure. We all feel the pain of not wanting to admit to our mistakes, but it does not make us weaker for it." The Atlantean said, resting a hand on the ice users' shoulder. "Things did get a bit chaotic, but we succeeded in the end after we adapted to the situation. I am not mad, but I do hope you ask for us if you need aid. We are a team for a reason."

Blushing at the offer, Winter nodded and smiled to Aqualad. "Of course. I promise I'll do so if needed."

"Good." Shining a smile back to her, Aqualad nodded back to Winter and pulled his hand away as he headed with Robin, who gave her a thumbs up at seeing her and Kaldur talk, and Kid Flash to the kitchen for some food and much needed rest. Miss Martian deciding it be best to catch up with her uncle flew to Winter, the two chatting a bit before they hugged and the Martian flew off with her family to another room.

"I'm ready."

Breaking her gaze at the voice of Superboy, Winter turned to spot the taller boy a few feet away, standing in front of Black Canary as the two shortly spoke to one another.

Winter admitted she felt a bit of worry course through her body, remnants of flashing memories of the day earlier when the two had clashed still fresh in her mind. She didn't want to have to see the two fight again or have to potentially step in, especially given the way Superboy had been acting throughout most of the mission.

But from the way he stood in front of the heroine, calm and collected with a hint of hesitation in his eyes; there was a pause that made her step back. She trusted that this time would be different than their last encounter.

"Good," Black Canary answered back while placing a comfortable hand on his shoulder. "Because I'm here."

Watching Black Canary give a reassuring squeeze to Superboys' shoulder and the teen return the gesture with a small smile back, Winter clutched the arrow close to her chest as a rush of energy ran through her body, making her feel emotions well up with pride at the sight.

 _Superboy must have figured things out on his own during the mission._

"It looks like Sigrid was right, was she not?"

Looking over her shoulder to see her mentor standing beside her to also watch the exchange between the older and younger generation, Winter nodded to Ice Maiden before moving to look back at Canary and Superboy from her spot. "I admit I was against the idea of staying out of things before, Ice."

"Sigrid understands. But?" The older woman asked, poking the petite ice user in a playful manner to make her continue.

Ignoring the playful jabs of her mentor, Winter sighed. "But, I am proud enough to admit I... _was wrong_. I didn't need to intervene. It seems Superboy was able to learn what he needed to on his own." She concluded, lightly swatting her mentors' hand from her.

"Good to hear, Snowflake." Ice replied warmly.

"Still," Winter spoke, her ice blue eyes stuck to Superboy as he talked a bit more with Black Canary. "I stand by my belief that I can be there for him. For everyone on my team. I know that there are times when I should step back and let them figure out things on their own, but...I want to be there. I want to be useful as much as I can. And be a leader they can be proud of." Winter spoke softly, a warm smile settling on her face.

The mission had gone a bit differently than the team expected, but at the very least Winter could be proud of this development that came out of some of their hardship.

That through their mistakes success was possible. Growth that they thought impossible. Understanding between people you thought you could never see eye to eye with.

Seeing the way Superboy was taking advice from Canary so calmly now compared to their interaction that day, it made the warm smile spread wider on the ice users' face as a happy though drifted through her mind.

 _Superboy. I'm so happy for you._

No longer looking to Canary or Superboy, Ice Maiden stared back at her distracted protege; the ice user smiling brightly as her eyes sparkled like diamonds with an energy far different than eagerness or excitement.

A knowing look showing on the woman's face unseen by the younger hero, Ice Maiden looked back to Canary and Superboy who were finishing up their chat, more focused on the younger hero than her colleague.

"Friends, huh?" Ice Maiden muttered.

Black Canary waving for Ice Maiden, the ice heroine shrugged her shoulders and lightly patted Winter's shoulder as Superboy started making his way toward her protege. "Time for Ice to blow ice stand. Will come again later, snowflake."

"Okay. I'll see you later than, Ice." Winter said, nodding to her mentor before letting her go.

Heading to the zeta tubes with Black Canary, Ice Maiden moved her eyes to look to the younger clone passing her on the way. Seeing this as her only chance, Ice whispered beneath her breath; quiet enough that only Superboy could hear.

"Ice is watching you. Don't hurt Snowflake or you'll regret."

Eyebrows raised in confusion at the cryptic words, Superboy stopped walking and watched quietly as the two Leaguers disappeared through the glow of the teleportation device, blue eyes ensnared by Ice Maiden as the two locked eyes until the older heroes disappeared from view.

"Superboy?" Winter called, not sure why the teen had suddenly turned to watch the mentors leave. "Is something wrong?"

Looking back to Winter as she called for her, Superboy relaxed his body and shook his head. "No. Everything's fine."

"Oh, good." Winter replied, her body relaxing at the confirmation. Her own eyes drifting from Superboy to the zeta tubes and back to him again, the ice user held her hands behind her back, trying to seem as calm and collected as possible. "How did things go with Canary? If I may ask?"

"It went as good as it gets. I think." Superboy answered, a slight lack of confidence in his answer as he moved to scratch the back of his head. "We talked for a bit. I said I wanted to start training with her and she said that she was there if I needed help."

Smiling, Winter almost felt her self jump in excitement at the new development. "That's great, Superboy!"

"It is?" He asked, not too sure if his answer made any sense.

Winter nodded in confirmation, trying to help Superboy understand. "That must mean she forgives you for what happened today. She knows you're trying to learn and she wants to help you. It's fantastic." The ice user said, trying to word her ecstatic mood and better explain the new development to the more stoic hero. The smile simmering down to a small grin, Winter's gaze absentmindedly drifted away from the clone, her next words less energetic than before. "I'm guessing you thought some stuff through during the mission, right?"

Lips hardening into a thin line at the mention of the mission, Superboy too felt his own blue orbs look away from the heroine in front of him. "Yeah. I went through some stuff as Amazo was kicking me around. Got me to think over some things."

Not sure what he could say beyond that, Superboy closed his mouth shut and stuck to the silence hanging in the debriefing room. Both heroes keeping their eyes away from the other, the awkwardness levels were starting to go beyond what Winter really wanted.

Was Superboy going to apologize to her? For what he said to her during the mission? For ditching them right in the middle to do his own thing? Winter admitted thoughtfully that she was happy if that was the case, however...

Moving her lips, Winter tried to break the spell of silence in the room.

"Superboy-"

"Winter-"

Closing her mouth shut at hearing Superboy try to talk the same time as her, Winter moved a hand over her mouth to better stop the flow of words leaving her lips, Superboy stopping himself in his own fashion to not talk over her.

The blue of the ocean and the blue of cold ice drifting around the room until finding each other's orbs again, the awkwardness that they'd hoped to disperse swiftly appeared once more.

How long could they go like this?

"Sorry. You go ahead." Superboy said suddenly, urging Winter to speak her piece first.

A blush of embarrassment dashing her pale cheeks, Winter shook her head and moved hand to gesture to Superboy to speak. "No. It was poor manners of me. I should know better not to...interrupt someone when they are speaking," Winter spoke, pulling her hand back and curving a strand of hair behind her hair to distract herself; her expression falling ever so slightly in discomfort before shifting back to a small smile to comfort the taller boy. "Please, Superboy. You first."

Rubbing his neck that was starting to suddenly feel stiff, Superboy looked back at the awaiting heroine, almost like he was trying to communicate with his eyes alone. Obviously knowing that his eyes couldn't convey much words and that he was again leaving Winter back into a room of silence, Superboy took a deep breath and exhaled to clear his head.

"I," His voice coming out softly, Superboy got a single word out before closing his mouth again, still trying to find the right words he wanted to speak out loud. "I wanted to...you know. Apologize."

Realizing it really was just as she expected, Winter rose a hand up to try and stop Superboy from talking, hoping to add her own piece in. "Superboy you don't-"

"But I do." Superboy iterated, volume rising as he cut Winter off, making he petite girl jump a bit. Realizing he was losing control of his voice again, he sighed. "I...We almost failed this mission because I was angry. I was dealing with some stuff and decided it was more important than following the mission. Or listening to you or Kaldur." Superboy spoke, words filled with an raw honesty Winter wasn't used to hearing from Superboy. "And I...mocked you. Your guys were just trying to help me out and I..."

No more words following after his apology, Superboy's voice drifted off into silence, breaking his gaze with Winter to look glare at the ground, fists squeezed into fists at his sides to deal with the confusion dwelling inside him.

Watching the display of confusion and hesitation appear before her, Winter's gaze softened on Superboy's and said nothing at first. Biting her bottom lip at the confession before her, Winter took in her own deep breath of contemplation and exhaled softly to clear her mind and calm her thoughts.

"Superboy," Winter spoke calmly, making the clone slowly look up at her, a worried expression on her face. "I was angry at you. You...said things I didn't think you would ever say to me, but I forgive you."

Staring back at the ice user, the clone felt his eyes widen in surprise at the response, then shine with confusion.

Taking the silence as a sign to keep going, Winter stepped closer to Superboy as she continued. "I know. I must sound like some broken record. Forgiving you like this so easily. But...I do. What happened today shouldn't have happened. At the very least our team should have stayed together to the very end, even with complications. But it didn't. I can't blame that all on you. There were underlying circumstances that..."

Winter felt her words trail off while her eyes stared to look at Superboy who stood just three feet in front of her. His own staring back down at her, she unintentionally turned away from him. "Something...Something happened in Metropolis, right?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if this was the right time to bring it up.

A low growl beneath his breath, Superboy closed his eyes. "...Yeah. Stuff happened."

"I knew it." Winter said. It wasn't in a triumphant yell or in a know it all tone. Her answer was more quiet than anything else. Almost...sad. Like she didn't even want to know the answer. Shaking her head, Winter slowly shifted her gaze back to Superboy who's eyes were closed. "Superboy, I'm sorry I'm not that great of a leader."

Eyes opening wide from the apology, Superboy looked back at Winter, an indescribable look on his face. It was only when he spoke that Winter realized that it was shock and confusion that had taken over his facial features.

"What do you have to apologize for?" Superboy questioned, not sure if he'd heard the sub leader right. "Winter, you didn't do anything. What happened today was my fault."

"But...I could have stopped it? Couldn't I?" She asked back, her face crest fallen at her own question. "What you said during the mission. I know it was out of anger and you didn't mean any of it. You were mad about Metropololis, Superman, Black Canary. Any or all of the above. Even with all of those things happening today and the conflict I could see on your face I..."

" _ **The only reason you're okay with it is because you're used to doing whatever someone tells you."**_

Those words still echoed in her mind even now. It was words set off by hate deep inside Superboy that he couldn't control. Words that weren't meant to be thought of as truthful. Yet despite not needing to heed them any mind she _felt_ truth in them.

"I told you on that day in the park that if you ever needed to talk, I...we would be there if you needed us. That you didn't have to bottle up your anger or your frustration about things to yourself. It would make you explode holding it in for so long. That's why I said it." Winter spoke softly, almost as if she was trying to find her voice. "As a leader, I should be there for my team. Not just be there to fill in Kaldur's shoes when he isn't around. I should be there all the time, whether it is to give advice or listen to any of you guys. I want to be there for all of you. I truly do. But in the end I...didn't fulfill that role." She admitted with a frown, memories flashing in her mind.

" _ **Are you worried, Snowflake?"**_

" _ **I...Is it wrong to worry about a team mate?"**_

" _ **He does not need your worry. What he needs is discipline."**_

It seemed like the right thing to do, despite how much she felt against it at first. Ice Maiden had never steered her wrong before, so there was no reason to doubt the sound advice from her mentor. Superboy had needed space, to figure out whatever it was on his own and not be bothered or smothered by her worrying. Some people needed the help of others to understand while others needed space and time to think.

And even after all the hardship it worked out. Superboy had figured out things after ditching them even if it had caused some complications to the mission.

But...did he really need to figure it out all on his own?

Was it wrong to worry about a friend? A team mate?

Samantha couldn't say. It was a question that could have a million different answers if she asked any person on the planet. All that really mattered at that moment was what _she_ thought. And...

Well, she didn't act on her own thoughts even then. She was stopped by her mentor and told that her worrying wouldn't help; and so she stood back instead. She followed orders rather than do what she wanted.

And somehow...that killed her inside.

"I didn't really talk to you at all when you came back, you know?" She asked Superboy, voice a bit quiet from the emotions welling up inside her. "I wasn't sure what happened in Metropolis, but the way you looked and how angry you sounded, I could tell something happened in an instant. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know if you wanted the company and Ice Maiden said some things to me and I..."

Emotions closing her throat up, Winter stared at the floor. "I'm making excuses." Fingers entangling with her other hand, the ice user sighed. "In the end, I didn't act on my own will again. I listened to someone else and decided to stand back even though you were hurting, because someone older and wiser thought it was the better thing to do. I listened to them rather than follow my own path and do what I felt was right."

Hands clasping and unclasping from the nervous tension inside her, Winter slowly moved her head upwards to stare at Superboy right in the eyes.

"Superboy, do you think...this all would have gone differently if I said something? Been more forceful and asked you what happened?" The ice user asked, hesitation ensnaring her vocal chords at the awkward question. "Maybe if I'd tried a bit harder today to talk to you, none of this would have-"

"No."

The single word from Superboy cutting off the white-haired heroine entirely, Winter stared at her fellow team mate wide eyed.

Frowning as he looked at Winter, Superboy shook his head. "I...Don't think anything would have helped."

"Oh." Winter muttered in defeat, face falling at the answer.

"It's not because of you though." Superboy said, making Winter keep her gaze on him. "I'm...still not used to all of this. Being out here, away from Cadmus and seeing and experiencing things I've only knew because of those G-Gnomes. Things are still new to me. Like being a hero and seeing Superman." Superboy admitted, blue eyes hardening at the name drop. "What happened in Metropolis, it wasn't that big a deal from just hearing about it, but it is to me. I'm not sure I really want to talk about it much even now." Superboy shrugged to showcase his own uncertainty to his answer. "I guess thats just how I deal with this stuff."

Eyes softening on the taller clone, Winter shook her head and looked up to Superboy. "But you don't have to, Superboy. You're on a team now. With friends. Whether you like it or not, we're here for you. If it's just to talk, hang out, or help each other if we need it. There's no reason to have to keep your anger or emotions inside."

Was she not stressing that hard enough for Superboy to understand? That not talking to your friends about things hurt just as much as the feelings kept inside? Perhaps, but Winter knew that trying to force her hand would be an ill move hers.

"I guess I'm still not used to it yet." Superboy replied with another shrug, making Winter stare back at him.

"Used to what?"

"...Having friends."

Shoulders sagging at the response, Winter nodded regardless. "I see."

"Winter?" Superboy called.

"Yes, Superboy?" Winter asked.

Eyes locking with her own, Superboy spoke strongly to her. "You're a good leader."

The simplistic words taking Winter off guard for a moment, she tried to speak up in protest. "Superboy, it's nice that you're-"

"I mean it." He added forcefully, making the ice user stare a bit wide eyed at him. "You're...learning just like I am. About being a good leader while I'm learning to be, you know. Normal."

Her voice lost in her throat for a moment, Winter slowly nodded her head out reflex. "I...Suppose you're right about both of those things."

"Then don't be hard on yourself. Or blame any of this on you. You're still learning just as much as I am. And most of this stuff is kind of my fault anyways," Superboy spoke up, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "I was kind of the one who went...What did Kid Flash call it? Ballistic?"

Not used to hearing Superboy use the kind of speech most teens were used to using, Winter felt a twinkle of energy spark inside her chest. Raising a hand up to cover her lips with her fingertips, the ice user couldn't help but feel a small chuckle try to break out. Energy building a bit more, the chuckle broke free into a small wave of laughter from the ice user, fingers falling helplessly from her lips as the once dreary atmosphere began to disappear suddenly.

"I-I guess that's what you c-call it." Winter answered in between bits of laughter, her frown quickly replaced by a smile from her laughing. The joyful response dying down little by little, Winter stared back to Superboy and smiled. "Superboy, thank you for saying that."

Superboy rose a brow at her response. "What? Going ballistic?"

She chuckled again, not quite sure if the clone was being serious or trying to make a joke. "N-No. For saying I'm a good leader." Winter responded with a smile. "I don't think I still fit that title yet, but I suppose I needed to hear that. It helped a little."

Nodding at her answer, Superboy shrugged. "It's no problem."

Smiling at the simple answer, Winter coughed a bit to try and clear her throat a little. "Regardless, as your...one of your leaders, I have to at least ask that you don't try to split up from us like that again. So we don't have another incident like this."

"I'll make sure not to." Superboy said, nodding to affirm his answer. "And I'll try to talk more to my friends."

Face lighting up at Superboy's answer, Winter nodded and moved a bit closer to Superboy, smiling up at the taller teen in front of her. "We're all here if you need us. You don't have to open up about everything. Just...take your time, you know?"

Smiling a bit himself, Superboy looked back to Winter. "Yeah. I'll do that."

Her face suddenly feeling a bit warm at seeing Superboy stare back at her, Winter laughed softly and rubbed her neck. "Uhh...sorry in advance for this."

"For wh-"

Moving with action rather than speaking, Winter hastily wrapped her arms around the taller form of Superboy into a hug, her head resting against Superboy's chest due to their height difference.

The feeling quite familiar to Superboy, the taller clone looked down to see the top of Winter's head against his own chest, her arms around his waist to keep the two close together.

"Is this...that hug thing again?" The super clone asked, reminded of the time they'd done the same back at Samantha's home after the battle with the Terror Twins.

Stopping herself from looking up at Superboy due to embarrassment, Winter nodded a little, though tried not to move much due to the action accidentally causing her to nuzzle her cheek into the boy's shirt. "Y-Yeah. People...do this when they talk like this. Or open up about their emotions. It's sort of like the end of a healing process. A comfort and security from a friend or...someone close."

Her face feeling a bit warm, Winter wasn't sure how long to keep the hug going, arms still wrapped around the teen with almost no intention of wanting to let go. "That's why I apologized. I didn't know if you liked close contact still. I'll let go if-Oh!"

Her voice dying out in a soft squeak of surprise at something touching her sides, Winter wasn't ready to respond to the strange contact, but relaxed as she felt herself be pressed closer to Superboy.

Eyes slowly drifting downwards to her waist, Winter felt her cheeks burn like the heat of a fire in a cold winter night, the arms of Superboy holding her close. Not very sure if her voice could work at the moment, Winter simply stayed quiet as she rested her head on Superboy's chest, wondering if this was doing anything to help.

"This is how you hug, right?" Superboy suddenly asked, making Winter stiffen in his arms.

"Y-Yeah," She said hesitantly, trying to pull herself together. It just a hug for goodness sake! She'd done it before! Well, at least when it was just her hugging! But for Superboy to do it...

That was different.

"It's fine. There's no bad way to hug someone." She said, softly laughing at the idea of Superboy trying to hug her properly. "You're hug is just fine, but it's to help make you feel better." Slowly moving her cheek away from the warmth of Superboys chest, Winter looked up to Superboy who craned over her smaller frame. "Did it help? More than the last time?"

Really, the last hug they'd shared had been more for her than anything. Comforting yet blunt words expressed by Superboy, the hug she gave him was to encompass the thankfulness she wanted to express for the talk they had.

This hug however was to comfort him. Something Samantha couldn't be sure he was used to yet since he was more quiet about his emotions, moving with action rather that speaking.

But it seemed his actions struck again to replace those words, Winter suddenly feeling Superboy squeeze her a bit tighter, causing her to be pressed against his chest. It wasn't to try to and squeeze the life out of her, but the way she felt him sort of clutch his hands around her body, it felt like he was trying to...feel the emotion from it? Try to understand what she was explaining. Or was she thinking far too into it now?

"S-Superboy?" Winter spoke up, not sure what the action meant.

"It's...helping. I think." The clone admitted, his voice a bit uncertain despite continuing to hold the petite heroine in his arms. "It's kind of nice."

Smiling at the simple answer, Winter nodded a bit. "That's good. That's how a hug with friends is supposed to feel."

"Oh." Superboy replied, only to look down to Winter. "How long do we do this for?"

Chuckling a little at the question, Winter raised her head upwards to look at Superboy. Honestly she actually had to get going. It was late and with being tardy to give her father a status report of this latest mission would be quite the disappointment to say the least.

But there was that strange pull in her chest that made her say otherwise. She couldn't be sure if it was the pull of wanting to help her friend or that twisting feeling in her gut that was actually...that _thing_ Ice Maiden talked about, but all that Winter wanted at the moment was to just make sure Superboy was okay. Whether it be platonic or romantic.

She just wanted to be there for him.

"Well...it depends. But we can keep doing this for as long as you need to, Superboy." Winter said, smiling to him. "Until you feel better."

"Okay." Superboy said, keeping his arms locked securely around her body. "Can we...do this a little longer, then?"

Closing her eyes to try and not see the innocent look on Superboy's face at the question, Winter laughed and rested her head back on his chest and just hugged him tighter. "Yeah. We can."

Honestly, Samantha wasn't quite sure she would be willing to let go anytime soon.

* * *

Aww, hug it out you two. You both need it after the talk you had. Just don't get too carried away and hug for hours. As much as I'm sure Sam would be happy about that. I hope that the conversation between Superboy and Winter doesn't seem too sappy or that Sam is getting a little depressed or whiny. To be honest, I was having trouble figuring out how to end this, and as a character I thought for Samantha she'd be honestly a bit sad at the fact that some fo this could have been avoided if she'd just...talked to Superboy like she wanted. Instead of doing the "mature" thing and having him figure stuff out by himself. She's not the kind of person who wants to just leave people behind to deal with their stress if they get angry or emotional. She wants to help. Not just because she's a sub-leader, but also because she wants to be there as Superboy's friend.

And maybe more when she ever decides it's the best time emotionally for her and Superboy. And if he even like-likes her.

But, ugh! All done! Man this took waaaay too long to finish! I' so sorry his took so long to get out. School was a priority and then the holidays and work took my time. But now I got it out by New Years, which is nice. At least it's before 2018, which I hope to get more chapters out in that year than this one.

I'm also sort of part way through the next chapter of _The Beauty Within Two Beasts._ That's the next part I'm going to work on, so that may be out soon too if i can get over this cold and finish work. Looks forward to that too.

I hope you all had great holidays and enjoy the end of the year. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I hope I can get working on it very soon since I'm still off from school until late January. Until then, I hope you all have a good day/night. X3

Oh and please read and review I guess. That's always nice to read.


	15. Infiltrator Pt 1 Preview

Hello everyone.

First of all, I'd like to apologize sincerely for how long it is taking me to get the next chapter out of Winters' Ballad. I'm sure by now I've completely missed the deadline of one chapter per month I set myself up for last year to make waiting for you all go by at a good pace. I thought I could handle the story with that kind of schedule, but it seems life isn't giving me much option to write these days. I don't like using school as an excuse for my neglegence, but it really has been taking a lot out of me creativly to write. From papers, lessons, assigned readings, and blog posts for assigned homework plus my job, most of my time is dedicated to making sure I don't fail these latest classes i have set up this semester.

However, i also cannot say that i have not fully been unable to write. If some of you actually keep up with some other stories I have or noticed my other work (you'd on't have to have if you don't want to), I was able to publish one chapter for two more stories I've wanted to do for a VERY long time now that over the past month or two were able to jot down over weeks and post. I'm very happy and glad that I have been able tp finally post somethign for these ideas that have been floating in my brain since I was sixteen, but that doesn't excuse the way I've sort of been ignoring Winters' Ballad to write some other stuff. It isn't that I don't like writing Winters' Ballad or anything as of recently, but these other stories are ar easier to write in a sense. Winters' Ballad takes a lot of time for me in terms of planning out character interaction, story beats, and the direction of where I want it to go. Unfortunate school has made it difficult to give me any time to story plot Infiltraitor in any way but the basic beginning, so I've been unable to write the full chapter due to this.

So, I suppose for now the best thing I can say at the moment is that this story is not dead. I don't know how many times I'll have to kee saying that over this hiatus I keep having, but it's true. I won't give up on it. I care about and Samantha/Winter far too much to let go of it. It just seems like for now, Ballad will be stuck in a hiatus until my semester is over. I can't seem to find the time to balance all five of my college classes and write the chapters of Ballad as I used to. I tend to overwork myself without knowing it, and I suppose this time I've reached my limits with what I can do.

So for now the story is on hiatus, though I think a lot of poeple already knew that with the lack of updates so far. However, I do have this for you all to read. The beginning of Infiltraitor Pt. 1 that I've been writing so far. I suppose you could also say that this intro has also hindered progress due to it's length, but I felt it was needed with the way things were going on the latest of chapters.

So for now, I hope you all enjoy what I have written so far. If I'm lucky, perhaps I can add more to this during spring break and get the chapter pumped out if I type fast enough. If not, maybe later than that, but I can't make promises.

Please have a good day/night. And if you're taking midterms and writing papers like I am, I wish you the bestest of luck. :3

Here's a first look at Winters' Ballad: Growth & Love: Infiltraitor Pt. 1 Preview.

* * *

 _ **-Star City**_  


 _ **August 5th, 2010 7:59 PM PDT-**_

"He's late."

A cool summer night drifted in Star City as the few sparkles of stars tried to make their way into the sky against the fluorescent lights of the landscape. It was the usual scenery Winter would see whether looking out her window at home, walking in the streets as a civilian, or when staring quietly atop a roof just like this, but recently she was beginning to wish the sky she'd been so used to looking at would change if only a little. Perhaps to look like the sky in Happy Harbor; orbs of gas glistening like diamonds that could be seen by just looking upwards rather than squinting her own like she was now.

It would make waiting far more enjoyable at least. She could stare at more than a blanket of darkness above her and a half filled moon that looked so lonely. Unfortunately, Samantha wasn't a God, so she'd have to make due with what she had that night as she waited silently.

She wouldn't have to wait long if _somebody_ wasn't taking his sweet time.

"It's been fifteen minutes since I asked him to meet me. He should know by now how much I hate tardiness." Winter muttered, arms folded over her chest as a soft breeze tickled her face and pushed the ends of her side ponytail enough to let them flicker playfully in the air. "Roy, you're going to get on my bad side again if you are late by another second." The ice use huffed, foot tapping on the ground to display her aggravation.

"Good thing I'm here."

A male voice she knew all too well ringing in the air, Winter rolled her eyes at the response; a typical one Roy liked to use at the best moments to mess with her since they'd known one another. Not even turning back to look at her companion, Winter stared at the expansive city in front of her. "Took you long enough. I expected since you went solo you'd be able to find more time to be punctual."

"Some stuff got in the way. No rest for us heroes, right?" Roy spoke, the sound of boots thumping against the roof pavement, only stopping as the taller figure of Roy stood beside the heroine.

Winter felt her lips fall into an unamused frown.

"It sounds like you didn't change much since going solo. You're still as laid back as ever about our meet ups." Winter retorted back in a matter of fact tone, staring up at the moon above them.

Roy just chuckled amusingly back, making Winter feel the hairs on her back stand on end at the strange attitude the archer was displaying. No quip? Joke? Jab at her for being so uptight? That wasn't like Roy at all.

"If you're going to go on one of those old lectures of yours, you could at least look at me."

Oh, there it was. She just had to wait a bit longer.

Huffing at the joke made towards her, Winter turned to Roy, ready to give the archer a piece of her mind. "Roy Harper, don't make me push you off this-"

Only to feel her words cut off so seamlessly in her throat at the sight before her.

The figure of Roy Harper she was so used to seeing was not beside her on this particular moonlit night. Stature still towering over her as ever, Roy stood beside Winter now wearing a uniform far contrasting from his old appearance. The red, yellow, and black of Green' Arrows' old sidekick was no more. The simpler design now stripped away, Roy Harper now appeared in a uniform of black and red chest armor that clung to his more toned form; something Winter was honestly not used to seeing. Black leg armor and combat boots covered his lower half, adding to the sudden shift of loose clothing to a more defensive approach. Added with black gloves and familiar domino mask covering his face, the archer's weapon was neatly collapsed and strapped to his back along with his quiver, finishing the entire ensemble off with a smirk Winter swore was showing due to the silence she'd suddenly opted for.

Ice blue eyes blinked for a moment, having to be sure she wasn't being tricked by the moonlight raining down from above them. She heard Roy's voice from beside her, but the person next to her did not look anything like Speedy.

"You...changed your outfit." Samantha said, words falling from her lips in an almost questionable tone that she hadn't meant it to sound like. Her eyes were still slightly widened, scanning the archer up and down like he'd sudden' change back if she kept looking hard enough.

"Yeah," Roy replied back with a nod, turning his head to look out at the city beyond their vantage point. "A lot of things changed. Thought the outfit needed an update too." Head titling back to look at the ice user, Roy strangely reached to rub the back of his neck, almost nervously so. "What? You don't like it?"

"What?" The heroine asked, brow raised at the question being posed to her. "I-I don't know. It's...It's..."

Why was she having so much trouble just answering such a simple question? And to Roy of all people? It was not hard to give someone an honest opinion about what they were wearing. She did it all the time with Wally or Robin. They called it "brutal honesty" whenever she used it. Why was this any different?

Maybe it was because it was such a different change from what she was used to seeing Roy wear? She had seen him wear the same uniform for years until just now. The change probably just surprised her. It wasn't like the outfit was bad or anything. Far from it, actually.

The outfit itself looked well made. Far more stranger than the loose cloth ranger-esque suit Roy used to wear. Durable enough that it would protect Roy from any encounter he found himself in. The dashes of black and red made for a more mature and darker tone than what the symbol of Speedy used to represent, but it wasn't a bad change. It showed a growth somewhat overall, like Roy was melting away the younger version of himself and growing into a more confident and responsible role. It suited him given the events that transpired for the past month and the growth they both had to endure. From being children to adults in the blink of an eye.

 _Speaking of growing..._

Eyes drifted from Roy's new outfit to his now unconcealed arms, the clearly tough training Roy was going through showing well in his muscles. What used to be somewhat fit and toned muscular power was now defined not only by the mature essence the outfit was giving off, but also the work Roy was putting himself through with his solo career. It clearly showed from the bulging muscle tone that framed his arms and legs, conveying an image of strength and power; something Winter honestly did not associate with Roy all that much since knowing one him.

All of this placed in front of her, seeing Roy look like this was...

"Different." Winter said, turning her head to stare back at the city. Her face feeling warmer than it had before and strangely embarrassed, the ice user glued her gaze to the lights sparkling below and took a tiny side step away from Roy to build more space between them. "It's different, that's all. I suppose I was just more used to seeing you look more...conservative. It's a bit unsettling, but I'll get used to it. You don't look much like the Speedy I remember seeing a few weeks ago after all."

"That's because I'm not anymore." Roy answered the heroine, hand falling back to his side. "Speedy's done. Call me Red Arrow."

"Red Arrow?" Winter repeated. "Couldn't come up with anything more creative?" She asked somewhat playfully.

"Not all of us can come up with words and names on the spot like you can. I beat you wouldn't have been able to come up with anything better." Roy said, smirking a little at the banter going back and forth between them.

"Don't play a game you know you can't win, Roy. Oh, excuse me. Red Arrow." Winter said with a roll of her eyes. Warmth in her chest growing at the calm the two heroes were sharing together and the strange feeling of embarrassment dying out like embers, the ice user sighed calmly. "How is your solo work going by the way?"

"Good," Red Arrow simply answered. "Fighting guys on the streets, drug and arms dealers alike. Far more action than I ever got to work being a sidekick." He added bitterly, kicking a small pebble with his foot off the roof. "Heard you guys aren't having any boring days either. Wally called again. Talked about you guys taking down some robot on your last mission."

"Ugh, again?" Face scrunching in irritation, Winter rested a hand on her head to relax a headache starting to form. "I've told Wally that despite it being nice to tell people our exploits, we need to keep a low profile. How hard is it for him to just keep his mouth shut about confidential missions?"

"You know you're talking about Wally, right?" Red Arrow asked jokingly, making Winter look back at the archer in the corner of her eye. Smirking, Roy shrugged his shoulders and winked. "I'm not one to spill details. I'll make sure to keep it on the down low."

"At least you're trustworthy. I'm going to have to have another talk with Wally when we meet up again." Winter muttered softly, taking her attention away from the city to an item strapped to her person. "But, speaking of our last mission, I called you out here concerning it."

The casual atmosphere disappearing as soon as Red Arrow heard the tone shift in the ice user beside him, the archer turned to look over to the heroine. "Something come up? You didn't get hurt did you?"

"What? No. None of us were hurt, though we did run into some complications. But that's besides the point." Winter explained, pushing aside the sudden concern Red Arrow had for her. "It might have something to do with you, but I couldn't be sure?"

Red Arrow rose a brow at suddenly being the center of attention. "Me?"

"I said might." Winter iterated, arms folded over her chest. "This is going to sound extremely stupid to ask you considering your stance I'm sure you have, but were you in Gotham at any time this week?"

"Gotham? No, not this week. Not these past few months actually." Red Arrow answered, still looking a bit confused by the question. "What makes you think I was there?"

Hearing the million dollar question from the archer, Winter reached on her person and pulled out the green bodied arrow from the team's previous mission. Still intact with not a single cut nor bruise on its' frame, the pure white maiden placed it in the hands of the blood red archer.

"This." Winter answered while watching the hero inspect the projectile. "When we were fighting a robot created by Dr. Ivo, we were outmatched for a time and Kid Flash almost got crushed in half if it wasn't for this being shot at the Amazo." Moving a strand behind her ear, Winter continued. "Most of the team assumes it was you given the League denied helping us at all when we questioned them; plus it didn't match Green Arrow's projectiles."

Eyes beneath his mask scouring the arrow for any clues or details, Red Arrow commented thoughtfully. "So you decided to call me out here to ask if it was me?"

"Please," Winter said, scoffing at the very question. "You should know me better than that. I've seen the way you make your arrows, Roy. This one is amateur at best." Winter explained, finger pointing to the projectile. "The arrowhead is far duller than the ones you make. Plus the body is green. Before any of this even happened I always remember you saying you'd never have green arrows like your mentor because it would cause you two to mix up inventory at times."

A small ghost of a chuckle leaving him, Red Arrow, closely gazed at the arrow's body, only to twirl it in his fingertips and look back at Winter with a confident smirk. "Good eye. I didn't expect you to be the only one to catch it. Robin didn't realize anything?"

"I think he was just too excited to realize. And not all of us know how you make your weapons as well as I do. But that's why I came by. As much as I knew it was too good to be true, I had to ask before I brought it up with the team." Winter said, reaching her hand out to Red Arrow to take the projectile back.

"Well you got your answer form the source." Handing the arrow back into Winter's hands, the archer frowned. "You sure it's not the League just trying to pull one over you all?"

Winter felt a small ping of dread tap her heart at the question. Even still as time passed and the had changed, Roy was still holding onto his skepticism and anger with the League. She understood his pain greatly and felt the same sting herself, but as time wen ton she'd learned to move past it and grow from it. Her relationship with the League was still somewhat strained, but the trust was slowly rebuilding itself day by day. But Roy...

 _He's grown in some ways. Mentally and physically, but his heart's still the same._

"I'm sure, Roy." Winter reassured her old friend, placing the arrow back on her person. "We asked and the League was genuinely surprised. Green Arrow even showed us his own arrows. They didn't match."

The archer scoffed. "Doesn't mean he can't just use different arrows."

Winter hummed a soft sigh, trying to ease the slight ping of irritation running through her at Roy's comment. "You've become a lot more cynical since you left."

"Not cynical. I'm just more willing to question things rather than take them at face value." Red Arrow retorted, head turning ever so slightly as eyes narrowed behind his domino mask at the ice user. "I thought you would too after everything."

"I..." Feeling herself sighing, Winter looked out at the glowing city of Star City and felt her body, or perhaps her heart grow a little heavy as her sentence trailed off. Brain trying to put together some kind of response back that would continue the conversation, Winter felt her gaze drop to the streets below. "Roy, let's not. Please? I don't want this to turn into something that..." Words drifted off into the wind, sentence left unfinished. She didn't try to finish the rest of her thought, a flash of worry crossing her features.

Taking in some air as his voice clicked in his throat to start another response, the archer sighed and let his words disappear before they too be voiced, exhaling through his nose and turning his attention away from Winter, looking down at the same city below them.

The awkward tension from her own words carrying a weight that made it tough to breathe, it was Roy who spoke again. Only this time his voice was a bit softer and no longer held the edge he'd momentarily used.

"Sorry."


	16. Infiltrator Pt 1

New chapter! And I'm not dead! IT'S A CHRISTMAS...NEW YEARS...EARLY NEW YEARS MIRACLE! :D

But seriously, I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. This semester at my college was nothing you'd believe. Three out of five classes I was worried I was going to fail and was constantly trying to keep up with tests and essays for three high level English classes, there was a gun threat at my school that made it difficult to feel safe and focused on my work, and the "Campfire" that happened around here caused our school to be shut down for nearly three weeks!

I couldn't do homework! AND we had to cram all these assignments and portfolios's in two weeks!

To sum it up, this semester was trying, stressful, and the worst I've evert had….

BUT I PASSED EVERYTHING! THANK SATAN! (Or whatever deity you worship in your worst times). XD

I'm happy that now finally after all the crazy balancing of school and holidays that things have settled down, I was able to find the motivation and energy to get this out. I'm sorry this isn't as long as what I usually write and part of it has already ben shown to you all in my "preview" chapter to give you a taste, but I'm actually sick right now on my fourth day in a row and needed to get rest, so at the moment this was all I could get out.

I'd hoped to keep this in only two parts, but it looks like I may be doing this mission on three, slightly shorter parts than my usual writing. Just to get things moving.

And since christmas has come, I also got a new laptop! I'm hoping to be going through all of my old chapters and rewriting a few things and reworking things since some of my last chapters are….not my best. I want to clean this place up if I plan on continuing, so I'll try to update as much as I can on that end.

So until then, please enjoy what little I have written, and enjoy the rest of your free time and holidays for the new year. X3

* * *

 ** _-Star City_**

 ** _August 5th, 2010 7:59 PM PDT-_**

"He's late."

A cool summer night drifted in Star City as the few sparkles of stars tried to make their way into the sky against the fluorescent lights of the landscape. It was the usual scenery Winter would see whether looking out her window at home, walking in the streets as a civilian, or when staring quietly atop a roof just like this, but recently she was beginning to wish the sky she'd been so used to looking at would change if only a little. Perhaps to look like the sky in Happy Harbor; orbs of gas glistening like diamonds that could be seen by just looking upwards rather than squinting her own like she was now.

It would make waiting far more enjoyable at least. She could stare at more than a blanket of darkness above her and a half filled moon that looked so lonely. Unfortunately, Samantha wasn't a God, so she'd have to make due with what she had that night as she waited silently.

She wouldn't have to wait long if _somebody_ wasn't taking his sweet time.

"It's been fifteen minutes since I asked him to meet me. He should know by now how much I hate tardiness." Winter muttered, arms folded over her chest as a soft breeze tickled her face and pushed the ends of her side ponytail enough to let them flicker playfully in the air. "Roy, you're going to get on my bad side again if you are late by another second." The ice use huffed, foot tapping on the ground to display her aggravation.

"Good thing I'm here."

A male voice she knew all too well ringing in the air, Winter rolled her eyes at the response; a typical one Roy liked to use at the best moments to mess with her since they'd known one another. Not even turning back to look at her companion, Winter stared at the expansive city in front of her. "Took you long enough. I expected since you went solo you'd be able to find more time to be punctual."

"Some stuff got in the way. No rest for us heroes, right?" Roy spoke, the sound of boots thumping against the roof pavement, only stopping as the taller figure of Roy stood beside the heroine.

Winter felt her lips fall into an unamused frown.

"It sounds like you didn't change much since going solo. You're still as laid back as ever about our meet ups." Winter retorted back in a matter of fact tone, staring up at the moon above them.

Roy just chuckled amusingly back, making Winter feel the hairs on her back stand on end at the strange attitude the archer was displaying. No quip? Joke? Jab at her for being so uptight? That wasn't like Roy at all.

"If you're going to go on one of those old lectures of yours, you could at least look at me."

Oh, there it was. She just had to wait a bit longer.

Huffing at the joke made towards her, Winter turned to Roy, ready to give the archer a piece of her mind. "Roy Harper, don't make me push you off this-"

Only to feel her words cut off so seamlessly in her throat at the sight before her.

The figure of Roy Harper she was so used to seeing was not beside her on this particular moonlit night. Stature still towering over her as ever, Roy stood beside Winter now wearing a uniform far contrasting from his old appearance. The red, yellow, and black of Green' Arrows' old sidekick was no more. The simpler design now stripped away, Roy Harper now appeared in a uniform of black and red chest armor that clung to his more toned form; something Winter was honestly not used to seeing. Black leg armor and combat boots covered his lower half, adding to the sudden shift of loose clothing to a more defensive approach. Added with black gloves and familiar domino mask covering his face, the archer's weapon was neatly collapsed and strapped to his back along with his quiver, finishing the entire ensemble off with a smirk Winter swore was showing due to the silence she'd suddenly opted for.

Ice blue eyes blinked for a moment, having to be sure she wasn't being tricked by the moonlight raining down from above them. She heard Roy's voice from beside her, but the person next to her did not look anything like Speedy.

"You...changed your outfit." Samantha said, words falling from her lips in an almost questionable tone that she hadn't meant it to sound like. Her eyes were still slightly widened, scanning the archer up and down like he'd sudden' change back if she kept looking hard enough.

"Yeah," Roy replied back with a nod, turning his head to look out at the city beyond their vantage point. "A lot of things changed. Thought the outfit needed an update too." Head titling back to look at the ice user, Roy strangely reached to rub the back of his neck, almost nervously so. "What? You don't like it?"

"What?" The heroine asked, brow raised at the question being posed to her. "I-I don't know. It's...It's..."

Why was she having so much trouble just answering such a simple question? And to Roy of all people? It was not hard to give someone an honest opinion about what they were wearing. She did it all the time with Wally or Robin. They called it "brutal honesty" whenever she used it. Why was this any different?

Maybe it was because it was such a different change from what she was used to seeing Roy wear? She had seen him wear the same uniform for years until just now. The change probably just surprised her. It wasn't like the outfit was bad or anything. Far from it, actually.

The outfit itself looked well made. Far more stranger than the loose cloth ranger-esque suit Roy used to wear. Durable enough that it would protect Roy from any encounter he found himself in. The dashes of black and red made for a more mature and darker tone than what the symbol of Speedy used to represent, but it wasn't a bad change. It showed a growth somewhat overall, like Roy was melting away the younger version of himself and growing into a more confident and responsible role. It suited him given the events that transpired for the past month and the growth they both had to endure. From being children to adults in the blink of an eye.

 _Speaking of growing..._

Eyes drifted from Roy's new outfit to his now unconcealed arms, the clearly tough training Roy was going through showing well in his muscles. What used to be somewhat fit and toned muscular power was now defined not only by the mature essence the outfit was giving off, but also the work Roy was putting himself through with his solo career. It clearly showed from the bulging muscle tone that framed his arms and legs, conveying an image of strength and power; something Winter honestly did not associate with Roy all that much since knowing one him.

All of this placed in front of her, seeing Roy look like this was...

"Different." Winter said, turning her head to stare back at the city. Her face feeling warmer than it had before and strangely embarrassed, the ice user glued her gaze to the lights sparkling below and took a tiny side step away from Roy to build more space between them. "It's different, that's all. I suppose I was just more used to seeing you look more...conservative. It's a bit unsettling, but I'll get used to it. You don't look much like the Speedy I remember seeing a few weeks ago after all."

"That's because I'm not anymore." Roy answered the heroine, hand falling back to his side. "Speedy's done. Call me Red Arrow."

"Red Arrow?" Winter repeated. "Couldn't come up with anything more creative?" She asked somewhat playfully.

"Not all of us can come up with words and names on the spot like you can. I beat you wouldn't have been able to come up with anything better." Roy said, smirking a little at the banter going back and forth between them.

"Don't play a game you know you can't win, Roy. Oh, excuse me. Red Arrow." Winter said with a roll of her eyes. Warmth in her chest growing at the calm the two heroes were sharing together and the strange feeling of embarrassment dying out like embers, the ice user sighed calmly. "How is your solo work going by the way?"

"Good," Red Arrow simply answered. "Fighting guys on the streets, drug and arms dealers alike. Far more action than I ever got to work being a sidekick." He added bitterly, kicking a small pebble with his foot off the roof. "Heard you guys aren't having any boring days either. Wally called again. Talked about you guys taking down some robot on your last mission."

"Ugh, again?" Face scrunching in irritation, Winter rested a hand on her head to relax a headache starting to form. "I've told Wally that despite it being nice to tell people our exploits, we need to keep a low profile. How hard is it for him to just keep his mouth shut about confidential missions?"

"You know you're talking about Wally, right?" Red Arrow asked jokingly, making Winter look back at the archer in the corner of her eye. Smirking, Roy shrugged his shoulders and winked. "I'm not one to spill details. I'll make sure to keep it on the down low."

"At least you're trustworthy. I'm going to have to have another talk with Wally when we meet up again." Winter muttered softly, taking her attention away from the city to an item strapped to her person. "But, speaking of our last mission, I called you out here concerning it."

The casual atmosphere disappearing as soon as Red Arrow heard the tone shift in the ice user beside him, the archer turned to look over to the heroine. "Something come up? You didn't get hurt did you?"

"What? No. None of us were hurt, though we did run into some complications. But that's besides the point." Winter explained, pushing aside the sudden concern Red Arrow had for her. "It might have something to do with you, but I couldn't be sure?"

Red Arrow rose a brow at suddenly being the center of attention. "Me?"

"I said might." Winter iterated, arms folded over her chest. "This is going to sound extremely stupid to ask you considering your stance I'm sure you have, but were you in Gotham at any time this week?"

"Gotham? No, not this week. Not these past few months actually." Red Arrow answered, still looking a bit confused by the question. "What makes you think I was there?"

Hearing the million dollar question from the archer, Winter reached on her person and pulled out the green bodied arrow from the team's previous mission. Still intact with not a single cut nor bruise on its' frame, the pure white maiden placed it in the hands of the blood red archer.

"This." Winter answered while watching the hero inspect the projectile. "When we were fighting a robot created by Dr. Ivo, we were outmatched for a time and Kid Flash almost got crushed in half if it wasn't for this being shot at the Amazo." Moving a strand behind her ear, Winter continued. "Most of the team assumes it was you given the League denied helping us at all when we questioned them; plus it didn't match Green Arrow's projectiles."

Eyes beneath his mask scouring the arrow for any clues or details, Red Arrow commented thoughtfully. "So you decided to call me out here to ask if it was me?"

"Please," Winter said, scoffing at the very question. "You should know me better than that. I've seen the way you make your arrows, Roy. This one is amateur at best." Winter explained, finger pointing to the projectile. "The arrowhead is far duller than the ones you make. Plus the body is green. Before any of this even happened I always remember you saying you'd never have green arrows like your mentor because it would cause you two to mix up inventory at times."

A small ghost of a chuckle leaving him, Red Arrow, closely gazed at the arrow's body, only to twirl it in his fingertips and look back at Winter with a confident smirk. "Good eye. I didn't expect you to be the only one to catch it. Robin didn't realize anything?"

"I think he was just too excited to realize. And not all of us know how you make your weapons as well as I do. But that's why I came by. As much as I knew it was too good to be true, I had to ask before I brought it up with the team." Winter said, reaching her hand out to Red Arrow to take the projectile back.

"Well you got your answer form the source." Handing the arrow back into Winter's hands, the archer frowned. "You sure it's not the League just trying to pull one over you all?"

Winter felt a small ping of dread tap her heart at the question. Even still as time passed and the had changed, Roy was still holding onto his skepticism and anger with the League. She understood his pain greatly and felt the same sting herself, but as time wen ton she'd learned to move past it and grow from it. Her relationship with the League was still somewhat strained, but the trust was slowly rebuilding itself day by day. But Roy...

 _He's grown in some ways. Mentally and physically, but his heart's still the same._

"I'm sure, Roy." Winter reassured her old friend, placing the arrow back on her person. "We asked and the League was genuinely surprised. Green Arrow even showed us his own arrows. They didn't match."

The archer scoffed. "Doesn't mean he can't just use different arrows."

Winter hummed a soft sigh, trying to ease the slight ping of irritation running through her at Roy's comment. "You've become a lot more cynical since you left."

"Not cynical. I'm just more willing to question things rather than take them at face value." Red Arrow retorted, head turning ever so slightly as eyes narrowed behind his domino mask at the ice user. "I thought you would too after everything."

"I..." Feeling herself sighing, Winter looked out at the glowing city of Star City and felt her body, or perhaps her heart grow a little heavy as her sentence trailed off. Brain trying to put together some kind of response back that would continue the conversation, Winter felt her gaze drop to the streets below. "Roy, let's not. Please? I don't want this to turn into something that..."

She didn't really want to finish that sentence. She honestly wasn't sure if she had the energy to continue speaking considering the subject matter.

Taking in some air as his voice clicked in his throat to start another response, the archer sighed and let his words disappear before they too were voiced, exhaling through his nose and turning his attention away from Winter, looking down at the same city below them.

"Sorry." Roy spoke, his voice having lost the edge from his previous comments.

Winter's ice blue eyes flickered to the corner of her eyes, peeking at the archer beside her. "No, it's-"

"It's not okay," Roy spoke, cutting her off. He turned to look back to her face to face, with Winter hesitantly turning herself to stare back at the archer who's expression was stiff, yet trying to find a way to break through some kind of turmoil within himself. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me for my own actions. Not now...and certainly not back then either."

Lips parting mere inches to try and speak, Winter closed them into a thin line at Roy's confession, silently motioning for the archer to continue with any other thoughts he wanted to voice.

Seeing the signal, Roy for a moment looked away from Winter, his hands at his sides squeezing into tight fists before losing the power and grip he'd built up. Patiently waiting a response, Roy seemed to find the strength he was looking for and turned back to her, and spoke up.

"That day at the Hall of Justice, what I said about my anger, about being done with the League, what I said about being betrayed by my own _mentor_ who I thought was like a father to me and taught me everything I know today...I meant what I said." Roy began, his voice hardened with the edge of bitterness known to those who felt betrayed by those close. "I won't apologize to the people who I've been looking up to my entire life for lying to my face for the past three years. Pretending that I had some kind of chance if I followed whatever order they gave me without a second thought. Not when they'd already decided in advance I'd always be _some sidekick_."

Anger almost radiating off of Roy's body at his short speech, the archer exhaled through his teeth and tried to calm his nerves. Reaching up to his face, the archer grazed his fingers against his domino mask he wore, grabbing it by the edge as he began to peel it off his face.

"I won't apologize to them, but I have to apologize to you, Sam. Face to face, just like you said. I owe you that much." Roy continued, removing his mask to show the sculpted face of a conflicted and betrayed man.

"Roy." Winter spoke, unable to find any others words to speak as the honest feelings of the archer began to pour out in front of her. The vulnerability of the archer momentarily being peeled off him like the mask he once wore, the ice user did nothing else but stare, ice blue staring into ocean blue.

A wistful chuckle escaping his throat, the unmasked hero smiled back at the speechless heroine, only for it to return to the frown he'd been showing for most of the conversation.

"The way I lashed back at you that day; it's always been in the back of mind ever since then. It was uncalled for to push you in the spotlight like I did, using things we've spoken privately about to fuel my own agenda." Roy spoke, his voice somewhat on edge as he seemed to have trouble continuing his thoughts. Hands closing into tight fists at his side, the archer powered through whatever issue he seemed to be going through, and spoke once more. "Whatever differences the both of us have with the League or how we work going forward as heroes, there's no excuse for dragging you into my problems, or treating you the same way either."

Taking a long breath after speaking, Roy exhaled and loosened the grip of his hands, freeing the domino mask that had been grasped in his right. Bare eyes shifting to stare at the mask that shifted around in his loose grip, Roy wistfully gazed at the cloth that held his identity.

"You didn't have to all those years back, but after we met and got used to one another, you're the one who took the first step to try and be friends and get along. To stick together and be there for each other when we didn't think there was anyone else in this weird life we share."

"I like to think it's still possible." Winter commented quietly, sounding hopeful as the ice user watched Roy through his quiet contemplative apology.

"Is it really?" Tearing his gaze away from the mask on his hands, Roy turned back to Winter, features falling as waves fo regret began to churn in the archer's eyes. "After the way I treated you, Robin, Kid and Aqualad? Ditching you guys to fend for yourselves after what happened at the hall and working on my own?"

Seemingly unable to look back at the heroine in front of him, the archer instead craned his neck to look out at the glow of the city's lights.

"I had my reasons...but that doesn't excuse the way I've been treating someone I'm supposed to call a friend. It's a mystery to me why you even thought to give me a chance to fix things between us. Or why the others keep coming to me and trying to join the, on a team. They should hate me."

A small smile forming at Roy's question, the ice user followed the sights of the red head beside her to watch the twinkling lights of the city around them, the sounds of car engines and the city life echoing like the sparks of a newly lit fire. Taking in the city's nighttime appearance for a second more to let Roy's words sink into her system, Winter spoke back to her companion.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Lifting his head at the questioning tone, Roy turned his head to look over at Winter.

Combing a strand of her white hair with her fingers behind her ear, Winter gave a confident smile as her gaze shifted to look at the archer in the corner of her eye.

"I said it before, didn't I?" Winter asked with brow raised in a confident gesture. "I don't waste my time on things that don't deserve my attention, Roy." Seeing the archer silently stare back at her, the manipulator of ice turned back to her city as her features fell into a thoughtful state. "As much as I hate the comparison, I do share that trait with my father. We both aren't willing to sacrifice energy on things we don't believe will benefit us or come out in our favor. It's wasteful of our time and energy."

Arms crossed over her chest as she stood in a contemplative state, Winter's right hand squeezed a little tighter around her left arm, the fabric of her uniform sleeve clinging beneath her fingertips. "You're...one of the first friends I've ever had. Both as a hero and just a person. It's thanks to you I've had the opportunity to learn about so many things that seemed so out of reach when I got my powers and I've become friends with people who I never thought I'd ever associate with." Feeling her lips curl into a smile, Winter turned to Roy who watched from beside her. "Making sure the friendship that helped to accomplish that for me stays intact? It's nothing close to a waste of time. It can take as much time as it needs."

"Samantha..." Roy muttered softly.

"As long as you had realized your mistakes, I would have forgiven you; which is why the others talk to you still. They know you're a good person deep down, just like I do. Thankfully you understood what you did wrong and proved it by saying you were sorry. And not in a rude or sarcastic way like your usual tone with me. I could tell. You were genuine, Roy. And Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad know you're just as important to them as you…." Feeling her cheeks begin to redden at the very heartfelt speech she was giving, Winter stared back at the city. "Y-You know what I'm getting at. I don't think I need to say any more."

His own cheeks lighting up a bit with a faint dust of blush and suddenly feeling the urge to not look at Winter in the eye, Roy hastily reached for his domino mask and placed it back on as he spoke. "Well...I thought I'd try to. After the change and everything, things started to slowly become clearer to me. About what I wanted and what I needed."

"Changing your clothes did that much for you? Hmm, it really is as some say. The clothes do make the man." Winter joked lightly, chuckling beneath her breath to lighten the awkward tension that was in the air.

"I don't think that's how that saying goes." Roy answered back, smirking a bit as the energy Roy seemed to lose in his voice began to slowly return.

"Are you trying to pick another fight with me?" Winter asked, mild irritation showing on her face as she stared at the archer, though her tone was more relaxed than what showed on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Roy answered, rubbing the back of his tense neck. The smirk he once wore shifting into a small smile, Roy looked back at Winter. "So...am I off that thin ice of yours?"

Taking a moment to pretend to contemplate the question, Winter shrugged and began checking her nails in a bored fashion. "For now, I suppose. I still understand your apprehension to joining the team and your issues with the League, but I better not see you turn on the team just because who we're affiliated with, understood? Or walk around with that high and mighty attitude just because you're solo now." Winter warned, shaking her head as she reached into her uniform's pouch and pulled out her phone. Checking the time and seeing it was getting late, the ice user put the device away and began heading towards the roof entrance behind them. "You were already hot-headed enough as a sidekick. I can only imagine how prideful you are now doing everything on your own as a _hero_."

Turning to watch Winter walk away, Roy scoffed. "I've been doing fine on my own so far. Doesn't that count?"

Winter had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes too hard.

"Just remember if you ever need help you can ask for it." Winter spoke, grabbing the door knob and twisting it open. Taking a step forward into the stairwell and about ready to close the door, the ice user froze and turned to pop her head out around the door to look back at Roy. "The team and I aren't going anywhere. So, at some point if you can swallow that pride of yours to come ask for our assistance, I'm sure as second in command I can convince the team to help you when you're in a bind."

Eyebrow raising at her answer, Roy shook his head as a smirk was painted across his face. "I take back what I said about you deserving being a team leader. Sounds like somebody is more prideful than me."

Feeling suddenly thrust into the spotlight at the archer's words and sarcasm returning in full force, Winter gritted her teeth as heat rose to her cheeks. "I-I...How dare you! If you really feel that way, as second in command of _my team,_ I rescind my previous statement of helping you. Don't come crying to me if you need our help, _Speedy_." Whether regardless of her thoughts on it being childish or not, Winter stuck her tongue out at Red Arrow in a mocking gesture, before turning her cheek to the archer and slamming the door shut behind her.

Chuckling a little at the sounds of Winter's muttering still ringing out in the air among the sounds of the city, Red Arrow stared at the spot where the ice user had left for a few seconds later before heading towards the edge of the roof and pulled out his own equipment to leave the rendezvous point.

Notching an arrow and pointing it towards his desired target, the archer smiled genuinely at realizing his body felt a bit lighter than it had been before the two friends talked.

"I'll come back, Sam. Don't worry about that."

Letting go of his weapon, the red arrow cut through the chill of the night and Roy jumped for the roof, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.

* * *

"Welcome home, mistress. How was your patrol of the city?"

Lightly tapping the tip of her uniform's boot on the white tile of her home's entryway, Samantha smiled at the sight of butler and cherished family member, Reginald greet her from the top of the stairs. "Just perfect. Thankfully no fools on town decided to loot any stores or make trouble for me. A quiet night all around."

"Wonderful. And you're little meeting with young Mr. Harper? Did that go as planned?" The butler inquired, walking down the stairs to head over to the teen who began to stretch her tired limbs.

"We've reconciled," Samantha answered favorably, only for her smile to turn downwards into an irritated frown. "But he still seems to have the smart idea of poking fun at me. Honestly, I don't know whether he likes being in hot water with me or if he just enjoys torturing me."

Chuckling at the teen's tone, Reginald stepped off the final step of the staircase and walked up to Samantha, patting the white-haired heroine on the head. "I'm sure it's just his way of being friendly with you. Friends like to make mischief with one another to show how they care. Or appreciate someone."

Her irritation slowly simmering down at the soft pats on her head by her butler, Samantha released a heavy sigh from her chest and combed strands of her hair back into place. "Well I wish he'd find a better way to show his appreciation." Leaving the side of Reginald to step further into the large Freya mansion, Samantha peeked her head inside the living room to the right of her, taking in the lights of the stained glass lamps illuminating the velvet gray fabric of the couches sitting inside, smooth oak coffee tables, and mesmerizing pure white carpet rug displayed with designs of dark colored flowers.

"Miss? Is something wrong?" Reginald asked, noticing the girl was searching the living room for something.

"I thought father would be down here," Samantha replied, taking her eyes off the living room to turn to Reginald. "It's late after all. He's usually done with his genetics work at this time."

"Your father uncovered some new information regarding his research. He's been working the grindstone in the lab for hours now. I expect he won't be coming out of there for at least another three hours." Reginald surmised, tilting his head to look towards the center hallway that eventually lead to said lab.

"Oh." Her hopes somewhat dashed at the idea of seeing her father, Samantha gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Well...It's understandable. Studying the genetic code of a human being isn't simple work. I'll just have to visit him another time so I don't bother him."

"Actually," Reginald spoke, making Samantha look curiously to the butler. "Your father asked me to tell you to come to his lab once you returned from patrol."

Eyes widening a bit with a look of surprise added by Reginald's words, Samantha's lips parted in slight shock before she composed herself and spoke up. "Father...he asked for me?"

"Yes. Said he'd like you to see him right away if I recall for your medicine." Reginald added, watching as the young Freya member looked over to the hallway leading to the master's lab.

She mentally sighed. How could she forget?

"I better not keep him waiting than. Thank you for telling me, Reginald." Smiling back to the butler and giving a slight wave of her hand, the ice user headed out of the entrance way and disappeared down the hall, the tapping of her boots accompanying her on her way.

* * *

 _"_ _With the world what it is today, science can do nothing but continue forward with the amounts of potential out there."_

The sounds of machines running and the smells of a different array of chemicals drowned the small laboratory of Nikolai Freya as the lab was basked in fluorescent light on the ceiling, the light illuminating the metallic shine of the floor beneath her feet. Sitting in a small chair in front of her father's work desk that was occupied by the very man in question, Samantha quietly inspected her father as he typed away at his computer set up in front of him, the screen reflecting mathematical problems and formulas her own mind couldn't seem to keep up with. While she would have like to ask what her father was working on, she wasn't stupid.

She was smart enough to know when it was and was not okay to bother her father.

This was one of those times.

 _"_ _There are dangers out there. Far more greater than what I am sure the citizens of any country a decade ago would have expected. Now that we know there are people and things out there that we as humans now can't fight against, we have to use whatever we have at our disposal to be sure we as a species aren't overshadowed by those foreign to us."_

With nothing much to stare at but the sterile white surroundings of the walls around her and the objects ranging from bookcases filled with memoirs and medical information, lab tables covered with medical tools and equipment ranging from medical scales and examination utensils, Samantha moved her sights from her father finishing what appeared to be some kind of report on his computer to a flat screen television hung up on the wall opposite of where she and her father were.

The television screen flashed to show the sight of a small plush office room, the kind that mirrored the image of those of intellectuals and people of higher status. Two leather chairs faced one another in the small, yet comfortable setting of a doctor's office, the sight of bookcases lined in the back and a desk off to the side peeking out in the frame behind one younger male figure who was dressed in a well tailored business suit. Appearing to be the host of the conversation as their face was facing the camera and audience's view, their sights were set on the person sitting opposite of them as they moved a hand to address their guest worth further discussion.

 _"_ _Foreign as in aliens? Are you saying that we should be using science as a weapon, Dr. Freya? And using it agains those not from Earth?"_

Hearing her own last name, Samantha watched intently as the camera's point of view shifted from the host to their guest across from them, their own body sitting relaxed in the chair across from the host.

Dressed in black slacks and a well tailored business shirt, the Nikolai Freya in the interview wore a pristine and clean white lab coat while his own appearance was cleaned up and just as professional as his outfit. His black hair with faint specks of gray gelled and combed back for a stunningly vibrant and prideful look, any signs of aging were minimal as his face was clean shaven and glowing in the camera's view, added by the glowing charisma that exuded out of his brown eyes and the joking smile her gleamed at the host.

 _"_ _Heavens, no. That would be an ill use of power beyond most normal people's comprehension. Humanity has already made grave mistakes with weaponizing science, as clearly shown in inventions like nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. And I have no dark intentions towards any beings who aren't from our little orb we call home."_

"Samantha, turn this way."

Twisting her body around to face the very same man she'd seen on the screen, only this time his attire being that of a lab coat and a far cold and focused look than his interviewed counterpart, Samantha's focus stayed on her father before it shifted to an object he always held in his hands during these regular intervals together.

A syringe.

"You know the drill. Arm out, wrist facing upwards. I need to find an open vein." Nikolai spoke in a calculated tone, watching Samantha to do just as he'd asked.

"Yes, father."

With a second of hesitation passing through her system, Samantha slowly but surely relinquished her arm as she reached out her right appendage and turned her arm to show her father her wrist, her eyes shifting from her wrist, to her father, and straight to the sharp needle that was held within a controlled hand only doctors possessed.

"Hold still."

As much as she didn't want to, the daughter of Nikolai did not even move a single inch.

Just as instructed.

 _"_ _What I propose as that we as humans need to focus our efforts in medicine with the help of science to enhance ourselves as a species, rather than relying on technology."_

Samantha felt the familiar, yet foreign sting of the needle pass through her skin, a cold feeling running through her arm like the chill of ice. Yet unlike ice and how it melted and disappeared, the feeling of the metal beneath the layer of skin in her arm, could be felt always, never wavering. Like the lingering touch of someone you cared about, but more invasive and foul. As if it burned you every second it stayed and made you want to curl into yourself.

No matter how many times she'd gotten these shots, the feeling never seemed to become normal. No matter how many times Samantha tried to rationalize the seemingly childish fear of needles or their touch, the fear clutched her senses and mind just as the needles' sting did to her skin.

 _"_ _We have to be willing to make...to endure sacrifices whenever they come between us and success. Whether it's minor or heavy in scale, it's the outcome in the end that drives us as humans to do better. That isn't something technology can do, but only we as humans can."_

"Other arm now."

Rubbing her right wrist, Samantha took a deep breath and nodded before doing the same with the opposite arm.

"Yes, father."

 _"_ _Which is why your research in DNA and the genetics of human beings is such a hot topic in the medical field, Dr. Freya. It touches upon ideas that many would consider somewhat vague and odd, along with working in extreme areas of the human body that many would voice to be disturbing."_

Feeling the slick slide of the syringe pull out of her left wrist, Samantha felt a shiver run down her spine as her father placed another bandage on the small spot where blood was beginning to pour out. Rubbing it gently, the brunette looked up to watch her father inspect the syringe in his gloved hand, expertly removing the old needle to replace it with another and remove the small vial of her blood he'd extracted from her.

More samples for testing.

 _"_ _Please explain further."_

Tightening the new needle carefully onto the syringe, Nikolai Freya then moved his chair closer to his lab table and pulled a small jar of an unknown blue liquid and pressed the needle deep within it. Pulling the syringe back, slowly but surely Samantha watched as the unknown concoction began to fill the medical tool in her father's grasp.

Now that she saw it...

"Is that your new formula, father?"

Hearing his daughter speak up with her question, Nikolai's eyes for a moment left the syringe in his hand to stare at his daughter, but just for a split second before it went back to his work. "Yes. The previous was beginning to lose effect. I've made a stronger dose now, which should do what I expect of it when it comes to keeping your powers stable and controlled."

 _"_ _Some doctors in the medical community have tried to debunk your research as fanatical or the ideas of an idealistic man of an old generation. Despite your success, many doctors claim that your ideas instead are trying to disband humanity rather than stabilize it as a whole."_

 _'_ _How is that?'_

Lightly tapping the syringe to be sure no liquid was in fear of leaking out of the tool, Nikolai turned his chair to face his daughter again and stared at her with an expectant look.

"The spine next. Remove your shirt."

"Yes, father."

 _"_ _Well, your research is asking for doctors to meddle in our own genetic code. Are you not worried that using science to change and enhance the pieces of ourselves that make us who we individually are will undoubtedly no longer make us human?"_

The cold steel of the syringe's needle stabbing into her skin, Samantha bit her lip and slightly craned her neck up to stare at the screen of the television to her left, the interviewers question catching her attention.

Really, it was a question she heard a lot being the daughter of a doctor like her father.

Using science and medicine to enhance humanity. It was a understandable goal and wish after all. Medicines basic purpose was to use chemicals mixed together to enhance a human's immune system, even if temporary. Even medication was made to help other cases and treat patients with problems and blocks in their life that their own body could not handle.

What her father was proposing was not all too farfetched.

It made sense to some; including the copy of her father on the television screen.

 _"_ _I understand the concern, but I feel we've already crossed this road ages ago. Being humans with short lifespans, we delved into the mysterious of medicine and created modern ideas to help expand our lifespans years more than what we previously could. Anesthesia, medications, even steroids play some kind of role in therapeutics nowadays and other helpful endeavors for patients whose own bodies cannot burden the strain of some of their weaknesses."_

The Nikolai Freya on the screen straightened his tie in a calm manner and cleared his throat before speaking. His back straightened, body poised and hands neatly placed on the arm rests of the plush leather chair he sat in as he got comfortable.

It was the same way he sat in his office chair at home when he began to lecture her. Intent, focused, collected, and feeling more powerful than the person you were facing

It was the stance of a man who was in his element and knew exactly what he wanted to say.

And he spoke without any hesitation.

 _"_ _My work may sound like a simplistic pipe dream to some doctors, but I assure you it is possible. I find it a better alternative to expending funds to only temporary means. Society has only finite sources to use after all. We must find a stronger alternative to help humanity as a species; and I see no better way than to turn to what we hold untapped inside us all."_

The last word of the past Nikolai Freya spoken to the interviewer, Samantha held in a hiss of discomfort as the needle her father had prodded her with was removed from her back, the slide of the metal still not easily ignored or accepted despite the times she'd felt it enter her that late night.

Looks like needles were not getting taken off the fear list tonight.

"I've finished distributing the new formula into your bloodstream. You may have some side effects such as minor dizziness or low stamina as it runs its course, but your powers should stabilize far quicker than usual with this," Her father instructed, taking the medical tool and placing it on his desk. "For now, wait to use your powers until at least ten hours have past. After that, try to use them and report any differences you may be feeling. I'll want to record them for studying purposes to see if this new formula is up to standards."

Nodding her head as Samantha lightly pulled at the fabric of her shirt to adjust back onto her body, she sighed and tried to ignore the shiver of the cold lab going down her spine as she looked back to her expecting father.

"As always father, I'll make sure to report everything I find. I'm not doing any strenuous training tomorrow, so I'll practice little by little to see how increasing my powers effectiveness changed the formula's stabilizing features." Samantha answered, fingers lightly rubbing the soft skin on her wrist that had been poked by the needle her father had grasped.

Thankfully now that one of her less enjoyable chores was taken care of, Samantha finally felt like she could breathe without much worry. Even more so, she could think much clearer as well.

And there was something on her mind.

"Father, may I ask you something?" The young girl asked, watching as her father turned back to his work table and scanned over some of the leftover diagrams and formulas he'd been studying earlier that night.

"Yes? What is it?"

"What you said in that interview. Do you really think-"

"Do you doubt my findings?"

Her question cut off by her father and addressed just as quickly, Samantha couldn't stop her shoulders from stiffening a bit at the questioning tone her father used in his response. She'd need to word herself carefully.

She didn't want to make him angry again.

"N-No, of course not father. I have the upmost respect for your research and know just how hard you've worked to get to where you are today. Your research is sound and admirable. I just was curious." Samantha calmly explained, a small frown overtaking her lips. "I'm...not as smart as you are, so I'm just unsure is all. Finding a way to permanently tap into potential we don't even know about inside us. It sounds amazing, but also hard to think possible."

"There's no reason to doubt it. My research is full proof." Placing his papers down on his desk and combing fingers through his salt and peppered hair, Nikolai Freya let his eyes wander around the contents of his lab, inspecting the disheveled papers on his desk, computer humming and the old cup of coffee sitting on the far edge of the desk.

All there was left to stare at was a photo frame on the far edge of the desk, the photo inside capturing the image of a beautiful dark haired woman who haunted the Freya family.

Grabbing the photo frame and bring in it close to his face, Nikolai let out a heavy sigh and shut his eyes closed. "My work, whether controversial or not, is what saved you years ago when you were at death's door. Your existence is proof of that success. Everyday you breathe life into this world and exhibit these powers you have proves this to be true. That with the right combination of components to strengthen the base building blocks of our genetic code, we as human beings can become more than simplistic creatures. That there is more to us than what we already know, and that there is a way to activate it. Had any of my findings been a pipe dream as some nearsighted people see it...you wouldn't have your powers and be with your mother right now, wouldn't you?"

Her throat constricting like a snake wrapping around her windpipe at the mention of her mother, Samantha's eyes darted up to stare at the back of her father, his body rigid and stiff like a statue.

Frozen in time. Unfeeling. Wasting away in a moment yet still pieced together in another.

It was rare to see him like this. Nikolai Freya, her father, was an animated man. Always doing something with his time whether it be tinkering in his lab or on the phone for business. All the time he moved with purpose and a goal. But frozen like this...

He was losing himself to the past.

Samantha hated seeing her father mad or angry, but seeing him longing over someone who could never return? That made a man with so much conviction break down so easily?

What was it like to lose someone you cared about? Someone you loved? Was it hard? Painful? Was it unbearable knowing you might have had the power to do something and save them?

Did _she_ ever want to know the answer to questions like that?

"Father, I didn't mean to bring up any-"

"Samantha."

Feeling her nerves jolted by the calm but heavy tone of the not the scientist Dr. Freya, but her father Nikolai Freya, Samantha looked expectantly at her father's back, praying she hadn't done something to anger him even more than she had days ago.

"Y-Yes?"

"Go to bed."

Fingers squeezing around the hem of her hero uniform's skirt, Samantha's lips pursed together to hold in the sad frustrations she held deep inside, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes, father."

* * *

 ** _-Mount Justice_**

 ** _August 8th, 8:30 EDT-_**

"I'm so excited for the beach today," M'gann rejoiced, walking alongside Samantha within the cave's debriefing room. "I was worried everyone was going to be busy again with the own things."

"We are absolutely delighted by your idea, M'gann. None of us would have agreed if we weren't." Samantha complimented, lightly nudging her arm with the martian. "A stress free day at the beach sounds like the kind of activity we all needed after everything we've been through."

The martian couldn't stop herself from giggling, trying to cover her mouth before her giggling grew into full blown laughter. "I hope so. There aren't any ocean on Mars, so I can't wait to experience what a real day of _fun in the sun_ is with friends."

Samantha couldn't hold back the understanding smile that came after hearing the excitement from the martian beside her. For as simple as M'ganns' comment was, it held a truth in its simplicity.

With friends. Those words stuck with her the most.

If Samantha could tell herself a month ago that she would have more friends, be doing more than just being stuck at home doing whatever her father tasked her to complete, she would have chalked it up to wishful thinking.

After all, she was a Freya. Her time was needed for important endeavors that would enrich her academic and social future and place her in a class fitting of her blood.

But here she was spending a Sunday that tended to be filled with lessons on etiquette at social gatherings or being left bored out of her mind at the Freya manor now filled by a social gathering with her newest social circle.

People her age. People her age she wasn't forced to talk to at parties. That weren't just connections to business partners or investors. Who knew the other kind of life she had. The responsibilities, hardships and obstacles she experienced. The bumps and bruises she took to push forward and show the kind of person she really was, rather than what looked best.

And she was absolutely thrilled for it. Anxiously awaiting it even.

It was just another taste of that freedom she'd so rarely gotten, and she wouldn't let it slip through the cracks of indecisiveness.

"It's sad Wally couldn't make it," M'gann responded sadly, heading towards the changing rooms within the base as the two went to their own respective rooms to change into heir swimsuits. "He looked so excited when I suggested it."

"He sure was," Samantha responded, putting her small shoulder bag down on the ground and began fishing out her swimsuit. "But unfortunately for him school is a priority. The beach isn't going anywhere, so he'll have another chance to come with us."

To be perfectly honest, Samantha was a little bit happy Wally was unable to attend their fun get together activity. Not that she would ever truly be happy that one of their own team mates was missing out on some good bonding time.

No, that wasn't the reason at all.

Perhaps happy was the wrong word.

Regardless, his absence meant more of a chance to not hear him making remarks about M'gann in a swimsuit.

 _Again_.

She'd been hearing him non-stop talk about it ever since M'gann pitched the idea and it had infuriated her to no end. But thankfully, the world had seen her suffering and answered her pleas to somehow stop Wally from giving her another torturous earful of what was clearly terrible examples of flirting.

 _"Looking good, babe."_

 _"Megalicious, did you shape shift a new haircut?"_

 _"You cook a lot of sweets, M'gann. But nothing you bake would be sweeter than you."_

Samantha felt a shiver run down her spine just remembering every poor pick up line he tried in the past weeks.

And the worst part was they surely were not even the worst.

"It's a bit better this way. As much fun as Wally is to be with, he really needs to try and apply himself more both on and off the battlefield. Going back to school might just help him more than he knows." Samantha assured her martian ally, staring back at the bareness of her form and began to quickly apply sunscreen before putting on her swim suit piece by piece.

"You really think he'll start working harder?" The martian called from her changing room.

"Of course," Samantha added with solid certainty, tugging on the bottom half of her swimsuit to adjust the clothing on her form. "Applying one's self in academics and chances to improve themselves physically and mentally gives them a sense of purpose and drive, along with focusing the mind on the more important parts in life. Wally will grow from experiencing school again."

At least she thought so. Samantha wanted to think the best of one of her fellow team mates and someone she considered a close friend, however...

She never could account for the level of fooling around and goofing off that Wally showed sometimes.

Plus...most of what she spoke was mostly what she expected of others as it was something she always experienced when it came to school. Not everyone was like her and liked to learn; if Superboy's expressions had shown her during their time out in the city.

The sound of M'gann giggling from the next changing stall over made Samantha emerge from her thoughts, looking up confused.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"I'm not laughing at you, Samantha. I promise. I just got happy at what you said." The martian answered honestly from the stall beside her. "You guys bicker back and forth a lot, but you really do care about Wally's well being don't you?"

Feeling like her body was heating up with embarrassment at the observation, Samantha lightly gritted her teeth to attempt herself from not quickly snapping back with denial.

"I...Well, of course I do. Someone on the team has to make sure he gets his work done. And since I'm the one who's on his case all the time, I suppose I'll keep doing it until somebody else can do it for me. He's tiring me out out like a child." Samantha replied back, pushing aside the compliment like it was unnecessary as she turned her head away from the wall beside her that stood between her and her martian team mate to stare back at a red faced version of herself.

Frowning at the reflection of a clearly embarrassed version of herself, Samantha this time turned away from her own reflection, the sight of looking at her own face annoying itself.

"I think I'm all ready to go. How about you?" M'gann asked from her dressing room, making Samantha look upward at hearing the girls' voice.

"I think so," Samantha answered, turning to look at herself in the mirror again and frowning at noticing a few small, familiar specks on her skin. Biting her lower lip nervously, Samantha grabbed a t-shirt and shorts she packed with her and put them on, covering her swim suit and skin respectively.

And here I hoped the injection marks wouldn't show.

"I'll just have to keep them covered so nobody asks." She muttered softly to herself, rubbing her arm softly to try and scrub away the tingles of nervous energy that were sparking off her skin.

"Did you say something, Samantha?" M'gann asked, the sound of her changing room door opening and closing making Samantha turn her head back.

"N-No. Just talking to myself. I'm ready to go."

Making sure she had all of her things, Samantha headed back out of the dressing room and found her gaze settled on her martian best friend, now fully decked out in a two piece yellow bikini. Both eye catching yet also simplistic enough to be so "M'gann", Samantha smiled and gave her friend a thumbs up.

"You look great, M'gann. It suits you."

Smiling, the martian joked with a playful spin of her body to show off her outfit to the ice user, only to stop and inspect the other curiously with a smile. "Thanks. What about you? Are you feeling okay just wearing your clothes? Aren't you going swimming with us?"

"Of course," Samantha assured with a nod. "This is a day of relaxation after all. I'm just...a bit self conscious about my body and showing too much skin. Especially since I don't do too well in the sun for too long. With my powers active to hide my real identity, my skin tends to stay pale, which ends up giving me some very awkward tans and sunburns later. I'd rather avoid that fiasco."

Showing herself off in a swimsuit of any kind was truly the last thing on the teen's mind. She already did enough of that at her father's fundraiser gala's. Not to mention that the rest of her make team (albeit one exception) and a _particular_ member was going to be joining them and would get a front row seat at seeing her...

"Aww. But I was looking forward to seeing you in a bathing suit. I wanted to know what kind you were going to wear. Oh well." M'gann relented with a short shrug.

"Don't worry. There's always the next time. Now let's head out. I'm sure the guys are getting hot and bothered just waiting on us to get out there."

Giggling at the playful pun the clothed master of ice spoke, M'gann hopped in step beside her as the two made their way outside to the sunny beach beside the base; ready to get their summer fun on.

* * *

"Is this what you do when you get invited to the beach?" Superboy asked, sitting with a leg holding up one of his arms as he looked out at the sandy beach he'd been staying at, his attire now changed into that of black swim trunks lined with white on the edges.

Throwing down a beach towel beside Superboy, Robin, also changed into a pair of black and red trunks, adjusted his sunglasses as he playfully rose a brow to him. "Waiting for girls to get ready and come over? Kind of normal for girls to get all dressed up, but don't sweat it. Knowing Sam and M'gann they'll be out real soon."

The sound of a heavy object falling into dirt made the two boy's turn their heads as Kaldur hefted over a water cooler towards their spot. Having grabbed the necessary refreshments and set up what appeared to be a grill for them to later cook food, the Atlantean, let out a relaxed sigh as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"It should not be too much trouble to wait any longer. After all with everything set and this spot confined only for our use by the base, we have the whole day to enjoy our activities without interruption." Kaldur assured Superboy, stepping around the equipment and dusting off sand off his blue swimming trunks.

"Well, besides any criminal activity or getting pinged by Batman. But otherwise, it's smooth sailing for the rest of the day. We can just sit back and feel the aster." Robin added, relaxing his muscles as he fell back onto his towel on the sand, crossing his hands behind his head. "Oh, and make sure when they get here that's you compliment their outfits in some way."

"Why?" Superboy asked, not sure what Robin was getting at.

"Beach etiquette. Plus you want the girls to know they look nice after taking all that time getting ready." The junior detective added, pointing a finger gun at Superboy.

Watching and listening to his team mates calm down any confusions he had about their odd day of "fun in the sun" as Robin had dubbed earlier that day, or adding odd advice in Robin's case, the super clone shrugged and turned his head to overlook the expansive sapphire blue ocean that stretched out as far as his super human eyes could see.

To think only a month ago his only image of the ocean and the beach was that of pictures screened inside his head. Never experiencing the feeling of the ocean breeze through his hair, the smell of the salty ocean in his nostrils, or the warm rays of the sun on his face.

For as boring as it seemed at first just waiting around, Superboy had to admit that is was better than anything he could have expected.

"Got it. So what do we do once they get here?" Superboy asked, not exactly sure where this newest life adventure was going to take him.

"Hey guys! Sorry we took so long!" M'gann called from afar, the martian waving a hand high in the air to get the groups attention as Samantha walked calmly beside her, looking somewhat nervous from the look on her face.

"Speak of the martian and ice princess," Robin quipped, jumping back up to his feet at the sounds of the two female team mates heading to their beach base of operations. "Looking good, Miss M! You don't have to get all dressed up for little ol' us." After saying that, the younger detective in particular stared at the attire of a certain ice witch. "Or in other's cases just staying in street clothes. What's up, Sam? Not up for swimming today?"

The once nervous look on Samantha's face quickly disappearing at the sound of Robin's question, the ice user hummed and softly tugged at the end of her white t-shirt in an attempt to cover whatever skin was showing. "Of course I will. I just decided that it would be better for my skin in my current state to keep clothes on. Besides, it's not like me not showing off a swimsuit ruins any of the fun we'll be partaking in, correct?"

"Correct," Kaldur spoke as he jumped into the conversation. "We're all here to have a good time. It shouldn't matter how we are clothed or decide to enjoy." The Atlantean spoke up, a look of pride and thankfulness showing in his gaze at each team member. "We've done some good work so far as a team, so let us enjoy this down time together as a team."

"Hear hear! Let's have so much we'll never forget it." M'gann added, jumping up and down in her spot with excitement beaming off her face.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Superboy spoke up, getting up from his spot on the beach to join the others. Scratching some sand out of his hair, the super clone spotted Samantha watching M'gann move around in anticipation for the group activities to get underway.

The ice user's gaze turning away from M'gann for a moment, her ice blue eyes settled on those of the super's dark blue, the two connecting for a short time as Samantha offered a slightly nervous casual smile to Superboy.

Taking in his female team mates smile, Superboy followed suit with the usual "Superboy nod" as the team called, acknowledging the white-haired heroine in silence as the group chattered on about where they would start first.

"Before we begin anything," Robin spoke up in a sad tone, hoping to get the rest of the team's attention. "Let's us have a moment of silence for our missing comrade who could not make it here today." The sunglasses-masked hero spoke with joking sadness, placing a hand over his heart in silent prayer and hanging his head.

"Poor Wally," M'gann spoke, feeling a bit bad about the current situation. "It's too bad he had to go back to school. He's going to miss out on all the fun."

"M'gann, remember that he needs his education. Besides, the ocean isn't going to go anywhere. If he feels left out, we can dunk a bucket of ocean water on him when he gets back." Samantha assured the martian, resting a hand on her hip as a playful smile crossed her face.

"Oooh, sneaky. We could even make it a prank." Robin suggested, the boy beginning to run his hands together as the metaphorical gears in his head began to turn at the idea his team mate suggested.

"How about for now we all just go and enjoy the beach? As the people on land say, we are burning daylight." Kaldur spoke up, intimating the start of their beach fun as he ran off towards the ocean without the others.

"Hey, wait for me!" M'gann called back, rushing after Kaldur who'd taken a head start towards the sapphire blue waves.

"Oh well. Plan for the prank another time." Robin mused with a shrug. Turning his head to look over at Superboy and Samantha, the younger detective waved them along as he began to run towards the ocean. "C'mon! Last one there is a rotten egg!"

"You don't have to shout. We're coming." Samantha called back to Robin from where she stood, watching her team mates head off towards the great blue in a haste. A smile gracing her features at the calming sight, Samantha turned over to look at Superboy. "You ready to experience your first real day at the beach?"

"I guess. Was I supposed to plan ahead?" Superboy asked.

"No, at least I don't think so. M'gann and Robin have got you covered all day. Trust me." Seeing as Superboy's gaze seemed glued to her for some reason, the ice user felt herself fidget a little in her spot, unsure where her eyes should go and where her limbs should move. "Um...is there something wrong, Superboy? You keep staring at me."

"No. I'm just looking at your outfit."

That was an _odd_ answer.

"My outfit? Oh, okay." Samantha responded, a bit unsure of what Superboy meant.

As the two walked in a strangely awkward silence towards the ocean, the super clone remembered the advice Robin had told him and spoke.

"I like your shirt." Superboy spoke plainly, his usual stoic tone making the compliment seem a bit flat.

A slight bit of shock and confusion running through her system at her the misplaced compliment from Superboy, Samantha replied back in a somewhat confused tone.

"Um...Thanks. It's just a white shirt."


End file.
